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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Malahide
Mullach Íde
Base in Dublin and give Malahide one half-day for the castle and gardens; sleep here only if you want a quiet coastal night 25 min from the city.
Malahide is a coastal town 18 km northeast of Dublin with a 12th-century castle, botanic gardens and a sheltered estuary. The DART runs from Dublin Connolly in about 25 minutes, so most travellers visit as a half-day trip. Sleeping here makes sense for a slower night by the sea, or as a stop between the airport and the city.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Mullach Íde
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, wind and rain)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire 112 or 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | €15–22 |
| Pint of stout | €5.50–7 |
| DART Malahide to Dublin Connolly | about €3 one way (check) |
| Taxi, Malahide to Dublin Airport | €25–35 (check) |
| Malahide Castle adult tour | €17 |
| Casino Model Railway Museum adult | €9 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- 8 km west; Dublin Bus 102 runs every 30 min to Malahide in about 40 min5 mi west; Dublin Bus 102 runs every 30 min to Malahide in about 40 min
Typical fares
- DART Malahide → Dublin Connolly
- about €3 one way, 25 min (check)
- Bus 102 Dublin Airport → Malahide
- about 40 min, every 30 min
- Toots road train, adult hop-on hop-off
- €6, pay on boarding
Get around
The centre is walkable: station to castle about 15 minutes. The coastal walk to Portmarnock takes about 40 minutes, exposed to wind and rain. Toots the Malahide road train links the station, village, Grand Hotel, beach and castle (adult €6, child €4, pay on boarding). Bike hire is on Dublin Road, 100 m west of the station, Tuesday–Sunday (check).
See and do
Known for
- Malahide Castle and Talbot Botanic Gardens
- Broadmeadow estuary and coastal walk to Portmarnock
- Casino Model Railway Museum
- Seaside pubs and Georgian streets
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin | DART from Malahide station to Connolly or Tara Street | About 40 min |
| Howth | DART south to Howth Junction, change for Howth | About 45–55 min |
| Swords | Dublin Bus 102, or train to Donabate plus a walk for Newbridge Demesne | About 30–45 min |
| Balbriggan | Commuter train north from Malahide | About 25–35 min |
| Drogheda | Commuter train north from Malahide | About 40–50 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (around the DART station)
- Pubs, restaurants and shops on foot; the castle is a 15-min walk.
- Coast Road / Grand Hotel area
- Sea views and the beach; 10–15 min walk back to the station.
- Portmarnock (south along the coast)
- Quieter, with a long beach and golf links; bus or a 40-min coastal walk to Malahide.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
| Where is the station? | Cá bhfuil an stáisiún?kaw will un staw-shoon |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- The coastal walk to Portmarnock has no shelter if rain comes in.
- Malahide Castle is visited by guided tour only; check tour times before you go.
- Trains from Belfast do not stop at Malahide: change at Drogheda.
- The station has no toilets.
Very safe for a town of its size; the real risks are weather, slippery rocks at Low Rock and traffic on the Coast Road. Emergency number 112 or 999.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Malahide yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Malahide Castle and Talbot Botanic Gardens
- Broadmeadow estuary and coastal walk to Portmarnock
- Casino Model Railway Museum
- Seaside pubs and Georgian streets
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Malahide Castle and Gardens (official): www.malahidecastleandgardens.ie
- Casino Model Railway Museum (official): www.modelrailwaymuseum.ie/
- Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann): www.irishrail.ie/
- Transport for Ireland: www.transportforireland.ie/
- Fáilte Ireland: www.discoverireland.ie/
- Wikivoyage: Malahide, revision 5276691 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5276691
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MalahideMullach Íde
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance, fire112 or 999
No embassies in Malahide; most are in Dublin (check your own country's list).
English is spoken everywhere; Irish is a courtesy here, not a necessity.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/malahide). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.