About Malahide

Malahide is an ancient village, 16 kms. north of Dublin City on the east coast of Ireland.
The following pages describe some of the many places of historical interest about Malahide and also some of the personalities associated with the area.

Guide to Historical Malahide -- Malahide Castle & The Talbots -- Lambay Island -- The Grand Hotel --
St. Sylvester's Well -- Maritime Malahide -- 20th Century Malahide -- Thomas Kettle

Much of the material is taken from the writings of the late Tom O'Shea.There are some alterations to reflect changes since the articles were written and some additional material has been included.. Tom was a founder member and, for many years honorary secretary, of the Old Malahide Society, now known as the Malahide Historical Society. The pen and ink illustrations in "The Illustrated Guide" are by his son Kerrie O'Shea. We are indebted to Mrs Phil O'Shea for permission to reproduce the Guide, and the pieces on the Talbots and Malahide Castle, Lambay Island and the Grand Hotel.

The Society would be pleased to receive submissions of suitable further material for publication on this site.

Introduction
Malahide's historical heritage is rapidly disappearing so one of the principal aims of this website is to create an awareness and sense of identity for the local youth as well as the very many relative new-comers to the locality. It wishes to emphasise the absolute need to ensure that the local heritage is safeguarded for future generations. It is hoped, also, that it will be of special value to the many visitors, native and foreign, who pass through Malahide each year.

Malahide: A Brief History
  Paddy's Hill, overlooking Malahide Estuary, is the earliest evidence we have of a habitation site in the area C.6000 B.C. The Fir Domhnainn are also reputed to have settled here, where they remained "fishing and fowling" for a few hundred years. Tradition has it that St. Patrick visited the locality in 432 A.D. The Vikings landed in 795 A.D. and the Danes were resident in 897 A.D. McTurkill, the last Danish King of Dublin retired to Malahide in 1171, from whom the Normans took over in 1185. The modern name Malahide ( Mullagh h-Ide ) probably derives from this time, meaning the sandhills of the Hydes, a Norman family from the Donabate area. From the 12th. Century onwards, Malahide developed around the Talbot Castle. In 1547, it was described as one of the chief haven towns of Ireland because of its very safe harbour. At the turn of the 19th. Century a small village had developed; coal, slate and timber was imported; Yellow Walls cotton mill and Killeen Terrace ribbon factory were in operation; the local Talbot Bank issued 25,000 bank notes and Malahide was justly proud of its coalyard, sawyers factory, steam bakery and saltworks. In 1831, the total population was 1223 of which 90 labourers were each earning 15 pence per day. In the 1880's cod liver oil was being exported to England and the Scott's Emulsion trademark of a man with a huge cod on his shoulder is said to have been modeled on a Malahide fisherman. In the latter part of the 19th.Century with the advent of the railway, Malahide became a tourist resort and a residential town. In 1914, it was described as a genteel ghetto for disengaged West Britons. In the 'twenties the buses came and croquet was played alongside the Band Garden on Sundays. In the 'thirties there was greyhound racing at Gaybrook while many Malahide men earned 11.5 pence an hour in the building of Dublin Airport. But the greatest change of all came in the 'sixties when Malahide became attractive to speculative builders and Malahide's first housing estate, Ard-Na-Mara came into being in 1964. Since then, though the population has mushroomed in a major way, Malahide Village has still managed to retain an old-world elegance about it.

Click the links below to find out much more about this heritage area. Some of the pages contain a great deal of information so please be patient whilst they download.