Hello and welcome to this weekend’s virtual walk.
Firstly, for my friends who enjoy shopping with #QVC as you know there will be an Irish gifts event coming LIVE to you from Ireland on Tuesday 7th December on #QVC and #QVC2 .
Myself and all my Irish friends will be joining you from Malahide Castle, which is located on the north side of Dublin , in fact not too far from the airport, so come along with me for a sneak peek and walk through the grounds and the Castle itself.
Malahide Castle is open to the public and it’s a popular place for Dubliners and visitors alike. The estate is in the care of the local council and it’s really well laid out. Let’s park in the Carpark and take a look around.. It’s a chilly and breezy day and the last of the leaves are still clinging to the trees, so we are getting the very tail end of the Irish Autumn.
Before we head in let me tell you a little about this place ….
The estate covers an impressive 268 acres and was founded in 1185, when Richard Talbot was granted the “lands and harbour of Malahide.” The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 12th century. The building was notably enlarged in the reign of Edward IV with towers added in 1765. It was home to the same family for 791 years, from 1185 until 1976 when it was taken over by the State.
As we had up toward the Castle we pass Malahide Abbey, the church served as a parish church and graveyard . The original building dates from the time the first castle was built and was dedicated to Saint Fenwis, but most of what we can see dates from the 15th and 16th Centuries.
Don’t you just love the wooden carved knights in armour that have been placed along the route ?? I can see there are Christmas lights in place and there is a night time Christmas walk these days – I will bet it looks both spooky and romantic in the darkness !!
Let’s head in the main doorway and up the stairs. We are now in the oldest part of the castle . Take a look at the oak panelled dining room, I think that you will agree this gives a real sense of how life went on in the medieval days. Next door are more modern reception rooms and the ballroom. Take a look at the fine fireplaces , furnishings and artwork . I’m told that when the state took over the property they were also able to preserve many of the original artefacts and its lovely that we can see them nowadays . I love the fine windows and the views over the grounds. And here’s a fun fact – In 1918 during the First World War a mooring base for air ships was set up in the grounds – it must have been amazing to see these giant aircraft just outside the windows !!
Unfortunately time is against us today as they are closing the tours early but we have time to take one more look around the grounds. Luckily the tea rooms and gift shop are still open , so lets pop in for a little shopping and a well deserved cup of tea.
When you tune in to QVC on Tuesday next you will get to see some more videos of the Castle, and I promise to post some clips too !!
I hope that you enjoyed coming with me to Malahide Castle and see you on Tuesday . Over on our site www.connemaramarble.com our FREE SHIPPING continues with lots of fantastic Gift Ideas if you would like to take a look.
