Peter Pearson narrates the long history of Malahide Castle and Demesne, which celebrates half a century of public access this year
Malahide Castle, along with the Irish Georgian Society’s 1960s project, Castletown House in Celbridge, was one of the first stately homes in Ireland to be preserved, furnished and opened to the public. Malahide can also claim to be Ireland’s oldest inhabited castle, with unbroken occupancy for nearly 800 years.
The approach from Dublin on the Malahide Road passes through Coolock and St Doulough’s into the attractive village of Malahide, situated on the nearby Broadmeadow Estuary. The castle is a short walk from the village and the DART train station. The area is renowned for its good soil and the flat land of the demesne is ornamented by fine stands of trees, with the sea beyond.
To read this article in full, subscribe or buy this edition of the Irish Arts Review
Barbara Dawson selects Lavacourt under Snow by Claude Monet (1840–1926)
Ann Wilson examines Kitty O’Brien’s Crossing the Bar, a composition in stained glass that functions as a metaphor for hope
Kenneth McConkey explores the use of archways in mise-en-scène works by artist William Orpen
