Malahide
Malahide is an affluent coastal settlement in Fingal, County Dublin, Ireland, situated north of Dublin city. It has a village centre surrounded by suburban housing estates, with a population of 18,608 as per the 2022 census.
Malahide Castle dates from the 12th century and is surrounded by a large park, part of which incorporates an international cricket ground. The area also features a sandy beach, a marina, a parkrun and a number of sporting clubs.
Etymology
The modern name Malahide comes from "Mullach Íde", possibly meaning "the hill of Íde" or "Íde's sand-hill"; it could also mean "Sand-hills of the Hydes", in turn probably referring to a Norman family from the Donabate area. According to the Placenames Database of Ireland the name Malahide is possibly derived from the Irish "Baile Átha Thíd" meaning "the town of the ford of Thíd", which may have been a ford at the mouth of the Gaybrook Stream, on the road to Swords. Malahide Bay was anciently called Inber Domnann, the "river-mouth of the Fir Domnann".Location
Malahide is situated north of the city of Dublin, lying between Swords, Kinsealy and Portmarnock. It is situated on the southern shore of an estuary where the Broadmeadow River comes to the sea; on the opposite side of the estuary is Kilcrea, and, some way inland, Donabate. To the west of the village, the Gay Brook or Gaybrook Stream passes through Yellow Walls, once a small separate village, to reach the estuary in a marshy area.The village is served by the DART and some mainline rail services, run by Irish Rail. The Dublin Bus 32, 42 and 102, the 32X and 142 peak hour express services, and the 42N Nite-Link route serve the town from Dublin City Centre. Route 102 serves local areas to/from Dublin Airport and Sutton Station.
Malahide is close to the M1 motorway and served via the R132 and R106 regional roads.
History
While there are some remnants of prehistoric activity, Malahide is known to have become a persistent settlement from 795, following the Viking invasions of Ireland. The Vikings used Broadmeadow Estuary as a convenient base. With the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, the last Danish King of Dublin retired to the area in 1170.Malahide Castle, which dominates the area, was constructed after Henry II granted an extensive area of land north of Dublin to Sir Richard Talbot in 1176. The castle evolved from this, and remained in the hands of the Talbot family until 1976, aside from a short period where it was seized by Oliver Cromwell.
There is an ancient covered well, St. Sylvester's, on the old main street, which used to have a "pattern" to Our Lady each 15 August.
In 1475 Thomas Talbot, head of the Talbot family of Malahide Castle, was granted the title Admiral of the port of Malahide by King Edward IV, with power to hold admiralty courts and levy customs duties on all merchandise coming into the port. The office was hereditary, and the family's right to act as Admiral was confirmed by the Court of Exchequer in 1639.
By the early 19th century, the village had a population of over 1000, and a number of local industries, including salt harvesting, while the harbour continued in commercial operation, with landings of coal and construction materials. By 1831, the population had reached 1223. The area grew in popularity in Georgian times as a seaside resort for wealthy Dublin city dwellers. This is still evident today from the fine collection of Georgian houses in the town and along the seafront, and Malahide is still a popular spot for day-trippers, especially in the summer months.
31 March 1926, four members of the McDonnell family and two of their employees, who lived in La Mancha House in Malahide, were poisoned with arsenic and beaten to death; the house was then set on fire. Their gardener Henry McCabe was controversially convicted of their murders and hanged.
In the 1960s, developers began to build housing estates around the village core of Malahide, launching the first, Ard na Mara, in 1964. Further estates followed, to the northwest, south and west, but the village core remained intact, with the addition of a "marina apartment complex" development, adjacent to the coastal village green.
There are a number of shops and service outlets in the village core, including a small shopping centre, a supermarket, fashion boutiques, hair and beauty salons, florists, art galleries, book shops, food outlets, and a service station. There are multiple pubs, cafés and restaurants, and there is also the historic Grand Hotel. Malahide has the highest median household income of any large census town in Ireland, according to the Central Statistics Office.
Governance
Malahide is part of the three-seat Dáil constituency of Dublin Fingal East.For elections to Fingal County Council, Malahide forms part of the seven-seat local electoral area of Howth–Malahide.
Malahide is also a civil parish in the ancient barony of Coolock within the traditional County Dublin.
Leisure and organisations
Near to the village itself is a regional park formed from Malahide Castle and its demesne, including gardens. This was once the estate of the Baron Talbot of Malahide family. Aside from Malahide Castle Demesne, there are a number of smaller parks in the area. There are several golf courses nearby, and GAA, soccer, tennis, rugby, yacht clubs and Sea Scouts. Malahide also has a substantial marina.The Malahide area has a number of residents' associations, some of which, as of May 2007, worked together through the Malahide Community Forum, which publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Malahide Guardian.
There is a Lions club, a camera club, a musical and drama society, the Enchiriadis choirs, a chess club and a photography group. The Malahide Pipe Band was established in 1954 and still practices in the same area, in Yellow Walls, today.
In 1990, Malahide won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition.
Historical society and museum
Malahide Historical Society collects materials of local and general historical interest, arranges talks, and operates a museum on the grounds of Malahide Castle. The museum first opened, in 1988, in the cottage at the main vehicular entrance to Malahide Demesne. It moved to the Craft Courtyard in 2007 but closed in 2012, with the collection being stored. It reopened in a new format in some rooms in the Steward's House.Malahide Sea Scouts
Malahide Sea Scouts was founded in 1919. and has 635 members making it one of the largest Sea Scout groups in Ireland. Malahide Sea Scouts offers a Sea Scouting programme to boys and girls of 6 to 26 years of age from the Scout Den on James's Terrace, and Sea Scouts can undertake sailing, rowing, paddling, swimming and powerboating.Sport
There are also a number sports clubs within the Malahide area, including rugby, soccer, GAA sports, sailing, hockey, golf, cricket, tennis and basketball clubs.Rugby
is located in a modern clubhouse and sports ground opposite the scenic Malahide estuary on Estuary Road. Founded in 1922, Malahide Rugby Club had to disband during World War II due to a lack of available players. However, in 1978 the club was reformed. It now fields two senior men's teams, one vets team, six youth teams and eight "mini" rugby teams.Soccer
was founded in 1944 and currently fields 60 schoolboy/girl teams, from Under 7 to Under 18, and 4 senior teams. They have an academy catering for 5-, 6- and 7-year-olds. With over 1,000 registered players, Malahide United is one of the largest clubs in Ireland. The home ground is Gannon Park, which comprises two 11-a-side pitches, one 7-a-side pitch, one 11-a-side floodlit all-weather pitch, one floodlit 5-a-side/warm-up all-weather pitch and full clubhouse facilities. Further pitches are used in Malahide Castle with a further 11-a-side pitch in Broomfield, Malahide.Tennis
There are two tennis clubs in the area. The first, Malahide Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, was founded in 1879 and is one of the oldest tennis clubs in Ireland. The club is situated in the centre of Malahide village, overlooking the outer Broadmeadow estuary. Grove Lawn Tennis Club is a grass court tennis club.Gaelic games
is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club. The club was founded in 1903 and last won the Dublin Men's Senior Football Championship in 1996. The club plays hurling, camogie and men's and women's Gaelic football. In 1996, they became the only Fingal to win the Dublin Senior Football championship when they defeated Erins Isle in the final.Golf
Malahide Golf Club opened in 1892, moving to a new location in 1990. Its clubhouse, completed in May 1990, has bars, a restaurant and a conference room. The club's 17th hole, which is "notoriously difficult", is known locally as "Cromwell's Delight".Sailing
There are two sailing clubs situated on the estuary; Swords Sailing & Boating Club and Malahide Yacht Club.The inner, Broadmeadow estuary has sheltered and non-tidal waters making it suitable for sailing training. While sailing in Malahide has been used for sailing for hundreds of years, Malahide Yacht Club as it is known today was established in the 1950s. Malahide Yacht Club is the only sailing club across Britain and Ireland that operates out of two permanent club house under two distinctive bodies of water. The sheltered 'upper' non-tidal estuary for dinghy performance, and the coastal tidal 'lower' estuary for keelboat activity and cruising.