By Mike Webster
Being one of the oldest castles in Ireland, the magnificent fortress of Malahide lies 14 miles to the north of Dublin and is set among its 260 acres of remaining estate parkland.
Quite remarkably, it remained in the same family for close on eight centuries, with the exception of the years between 1649 and 1660, when it was granted to one, Miles Corbett, by Oliver Cromwell during the Civil War. Apart from this short interlude, the Talbot family held the castle until 1975, when it was sold to the Irish state in order to fund inheritance taxes.
The lands and harbour of Malahide were gifted to the knight, Sir Richard Talbot, by King Henry II in 1185 to reward good and faithful service so Sir Richard then did what so many Norman knights did – he built a castle on it. He was not to know that his family home was to go down in history as one of the most haunted buildings in the whole of Ireland.
As with so many castles and historic buildings, tales of hauntings and disturbing occurrences abound and Malahide has certainly proved to be no exception.
However, the spirit world has endowed this stately pile with not just one, but at least five resident. ghosts.
