Malahide, Ireland Guide

Use our realistic Malahide, Ireland Guide to plan your next day trip from Dublin to this seaside town.

Malahide is a town north of Dublin, famous for its medieval castle and gardens.

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Sights & Places of Interest

Most people visiting Malahide proceed to the town directly. We decided to take a more scenic route into Malahide. Our Malahide, Ireland Guide will follow our path.

The city walk was relatively flat and totaled 8.7 miles (14 km).

• We started at the Portmarnock DART station.
• We then walked along the Station Road, Strand Road, and Gold Links Road to the Portmarnock Beach South Car Park.

On a sunny day you could see the Poolbeg Stacks and Dublin mountains in the distance.

A narrow path connects the parking lot with the beach. On its both sides you can find the golf courses.

• The southern course belongs to Portmarnock Golf Club.
• And the northern course is part of Portmarnock Golf Links.

Avid golfers should look into either course if they would like to enjoy the view while playing the game.

Plane Spotting

Outside of the golf fields, it’s hard to miss planes flying just above Portmarnock beach. This is hardly a surprise.

Portmarnock Beach is very close to the Dublin airport. And planes fly directly above the beach on their final approach.

As a result, Portmarnock Beach is a good place for plane spotting. It is even easier to spot planes there than at Howth. You don’t need a long-focus lens to get the airplane belly shots at Portmarnock Beach.

There is a lot to do once you get tired of tracking airplanes. For example, you can spot birds and other wildlife.

Portmarnock Beach

The last part of the path brought us through the sand dunes to the beach. The beach covers a 5-mile (8-km) stretch of the shoreline.

Lambay Island

We took a moment to study the tall beachgrass. Depending on your angle it could hide objects from the view.

Or it could present them from an entirely different perspective. Take a look at the Lambay Island through the beachgrass.

Ireland’s Eye

Once we passed the dunes, we arrived at the beach. Right away we could see the Ireland’s Eye island almost directly in front of us.

Velvet Strand

The beach was quite busy during our visit. Both locals and tourists admired the peaceful waves of the Irish Sea.

The Howth peninsula dominates the view in the south. While it looks so close, you can’t reach the Howth Cliff Walk from Portmarnock Beach.

Martello Tower

No problem: the cliff walk wasn’t our destination. We were headed in the opposite direction, northbound towards Martello Tower and Malahide Harbor. The tower is a historical landmark and a private residence.

A rocky terrain takes over just north of Portmarnock Beach. Make sure to turn around and enjoy the views. This way you could get a panorama of Howth and Ireland’s Eye.

Malahide Marina

The Coast Road makes a smooth turn west at Martello Tower. It soon revealed Malahide Beach and Marina.

Malahide Castle

We proceeded through the town center to Malahide Castle and Gardens. The castle park was our last stop on this city walk. The remnants of a medieval cathedral were the first structure we saw in the park.

Malahide castle was just around the corner. The Castle dates back to the 12th century. Like any building of such notable age, Malahide Castle has a long history.

The castle belonged to the Talbot family until 1975. After that it was gifted to the Irish State. You can now see the castle’s Great Hall and Library on a guided tour.

Ivy covers most of the castle’s walls. It really brings out the medieval feel.

Malahide Gardens

The Gardens are another attraction of this park. Malahide Gardens consist of three main sections.

• West Lawn is a green space with trees and sculptures.
• Walled Garden is a botanical garden with exotic plants.
• Butterfly House is home to 20 butterfly species. It is the only butterfly house in the Republic of Ireland.

The Butterfly House was closed during our visit. Instead of paying the same price and visiting only a part of the Gardens, we enjoyed the public park before returning to Dublin on a DART train.

Continue with our Malahide, Ireland Guide to learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.

Getting to Malahide

You can use public transport or a car to get to Malahide from Dublin. Get a Leap Card if you plan on using the former to receive savings on every ride. Fares are accurate at the time of writing.

• DART: Malahide is the northernmost station of DART. You can get to Malahide on DART in under 30 minutes. Single ride is €2. DART trains run every 30 minutes.
• Train: Northern Commuter Train to Drogheda would bring you to Malahide in under 20 minutes. Single ride is €2.5. Trains run every hour on weekends. Service is more frequent during the weekdays.
• Bus: #42 bus brings you to Malahide in 30-50 minutes depending on traffic. A single ride costs between €1.3 and €2 depending on your ride’s distance.
• Car Rental: a viable alternative to public transport when exploring Malahide. The Bridgefield Car Park is the closest parking lot to Malahide Castle and Gardens. First two hours are free. Don’t forget to display the parking ticket. Alternatively park at the free Malahide Beach Car Park.

Where to Stay

Malahide and Portmarnock have a few hotels. You could also look into properties at the nearby Swords, especially if you have a car. Similar to Howth, you will likely find a better deal staying in Dublin.

This would allow you to explore sights located in Central and South Dublin more easily. And you might get a better deal.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

Malahide Castle and Gardens are open daily from 9:30am to 5:30pm. You don’t need to pay to wander around Malahide Castle park.

However, you would need to purchase a ticket to visit the gardens or tour the castle. You can explore the gardens at your own pace. But you can only visit the castle on a guided tour. Prices are accurate at the time of writing.

• A combined ticket costs €14.50 per adult.
• A garden only ticket is €8.50.
• Model railway museum admission costs extra.
• Malahide Castle & Gardens offers reduced rates to students, seniors, and families.

Admission hours vary by season and attraction.

• Castle
  • Open from 9:30am to 4:30pm from April to October.
  • Open from 9:30am to 3:30pm from November to March.
• Gardens
  • West Lawn, Walled Gardens, and Butterfly House are open from 9:30am to 4:30pm from April to October.
  • West Lawn and Walled Gardens are open from 9:30am to 3pm from November to March. Butterfly House is closed during winter.

Takeaways: Malahide

Malahide is a nice destination for a city walk. The medieval castle, gardens, and public park offer a tranquil way to explore this seaside town. Sand dunes at the nearby Portmarnock Beach, beautiful views of the Irish Sea, and excellent plane spotting round up Malahide’s appeal.

But if time is a factor, you should look into Howth, destinations south of Dublin, and Wicklow Mountains instead. Every one of these routes is more challenging than Malahide and Portmarnock. Yet they reward travelers with even more scenic views.

Take a look at our Scenic Walks around Dublin Video Guide. Or visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Safe realist travels!