Easy access by train from Dublin center makes Malahide Castle a perfect destination for a day trip. After a 20-minuter ride on a DART train from Pearce station, I was walking through an expansive park towards the castle.
The castle itself is visible only from one side – the front façade. From all other sides it is obscured by trees. During my visit, most of the façade was covered by unsightly scaffolding – a common feature of European historical sights. I managed to take a couple of photographs of the fragments of the castle with a 70-200 mm lens. The architectural details are quite interesting, and are best photographed in a diffused light provided by overcast sky. When the sun briefly appeared from the clouds, the mood of the scene changed, and I used the moment to take a few shots of the roofline of the castle.
The guided tour of the castle features an excellent collection of furniture. Overall, the interior offers an interesting glimpse into the lifestyle of several generations of the Talbots. Particularly impressive is the dining hall, where 14 members of the family had breakfast on the morning of the Battle of the Boyne, which took place only a few kilometers from Malahide in 1690. All of them died in the Boyne Valley on that day. The walls of the dining room are covered with portraits of the prominent Talbots as well as a great painting depicting the Battle of the Boyne – a pivotal point in Irish history.
Follow the link to view my photos of Malahide.