Malahide Beach - June 7

Thursday, June 7

 My morning started out with tea and a book out on the patio. I finally finished the book. I highly recommend it- Holding by Graham Norton. Every time I thought I had it figured out there was another unexpected (although quite plausible) twist. I also enjoy his writing style and humor.

I finally remembered to take a photo of this chimney. I asked Jane what the wire cages were on the top. She said that they are there to keep birds from flying down the chimney and getting inside. Apparently that happens around here. Jane said a bird flew down her friend's chimney and when it came out through the fireplace it brought all the soot with it. Then it crashed into the walls and blinds trying to get out and made a terrible mess. Thus, the metal cages on top.

 I considered taking a bus to Belfast today but that would be a two hour trip one way. So I took the bus to a much closer destination. I went north to Malahide. I got off the bus in the Village and then walked over to the estuary.

What a difference from Monday (Bank Holiday) when it was packed with people! We drove past this beach on the way home from our visit to the castle last Monday. I don't think there was more than a dozen people on the beach today, a couple of  families with small children. This is a great beach for small children. The waves are gentle and small. No crashing waves here. I walked on the beach for three hours!

 As I got closer to the mouth of the estuary (and the Irish Sea) the surface of the sand changed into some really interesting patterns. Also, there were lots of little piles and holes. Don't know what made them but they're really curious. I'm guessing that as the tide goes out slowly when it gets thin on the sand the wind makes little ripples in the water which creates the ripples in the sand.

There were a lot of little crab bodies scattered around on the beach. Do they get stuck there as the tide goes out? Did birds leave them there? 

I could have walked on this beach for another three hours or more! It was warm and there was as good breeze blowing so it was very comfortable. I think I even got a slight sunburn. Who gets a sunburn in Ireland???

Went back to Jane's place. We had some really good Chines food for dinner.

Malahide Castle _June 4

Monday, June 4

Today is Ireland's Bank Holiday. It's a lovely, sunny day so everyone is out enjoying their holiday.

I get to go to a REAL castle today! This was one of my few “must do” things for the trip. 
We took a short drive north to Malahide Castle.

We got a great tour guide! He was an older man, with a great sense of humor and knack for drawing tour guests into the scene he was setting in any given room.

It was owned by the Talbot family for almost over 800 years. It's one of the oldest castles in Ireland. It remained in the family until Rose Talbot inherited it from her brother, Milo, and, unable to afford the inheritance tax, sold it to the Irish State and moved to Tasmania.

The family motto is Forte-et-Fidele (Brave and Faithful) and their crest contains a lion and a hound. The lion motif is seen throughout the house, including in the carvings on this table, which our guide told us is the most priceless item in the castle. It is one of the few remaining examples of this type of furniture style (the name of which I don't remember).

Drawing Room

Detail of Molding in Drawing Room Ceiling

I don't recall what this room (above) was for, but the floor design is beautiful. The entire home is full of beautiful wood-furniture, flooring, paneling.

Children's Room

Toys in the Children's Room

A Child's Travel Case

 We were allowed to see three of the bedrooms on the second floor.

Rose Talbot's Room

 The tassel in the center of the canopy over the bed is a pull to unlock the door to the right of the bed so that the Lady of the house didn't have to get out of bed to open the door when the maid brought up her breakfast tray in the morning.

This vessel is lined with lead and used as a wine cooler

This was the last room of the tour-The Great Hall. There is a very long table in this room and a balcony on the front side of the home. There is a small door and a small room under the balcony that belonged to a dwarf who worked in the house entertaining the Talbot's guests. Unfortunately, he hung himself and is said to haunt the room. I was actually feeling quite sick at this point in the tour-roasting hot and freezing cold at the same time and wondering when the tour would be finished so I could go outside.  I was checking out the library, which is a small room off to the left. When I started paying attention again to what the tour guide was saying he was talking about people becoming sick in the house while on the tour. The tour guides communicate with one another with earpieces and mircrophones so they can let each other know when a room is clear for the next group to enter. He said that any time he heard of a tour guest being sick in the castle he knew exactly where they would be. He pointed at me and the man next to me and said "you two might want to move about 5 feet in either direction". Once I did, I stopped feeling sick. Weird!

There are two wooden vessels on either side of the fireplace. When I asked about them I was told they were used as wine coolers.

This library was off of the Grand Hall. We weren't allowed to go into it. The wallpaper is made with real gold and, according to the tour guide, is quite spectacular when they sun is shining in the room. The table has amazing marquetry top!

The grounds were amazing—so much space-260 acres!

 There is also a cemetery and the ruins of an old church on the grounds.

 There are a lot of exotic plants, lovely wandering walkways, water features and several green houses.

One of the greenhouses has a butterfly collection.

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And a collection of pitcher plants.

 My favorite garden was the Walled Garden. Unfortunately, the video I took is too big to upload here. That garden is more "wild" than the rest of the manicured gardens on the property.

It was a lovely, ornate home but not anywhere near as gaudy as Hearst Castle in California.