Things to do in Malahide
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Malahide
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months, with June and early September the sweet spot for light, golf, sailing and gardens.
Calm shoulder months with falling golf fees, and October adds the Samhain programme.
Worst months, dark and wet with reduced hours, though TradFest gives late January a reason to come.
The village dresses well for Christmas and the castle runs seasonal family programming.
What's on
- Malahide Castle Summer Concerts June
Major outdoor concerts in the castle grounds that sell out beds, dinners and trains.
- TradFest late January
Traditional music festival with historic venue concerts including Malahide Castle.
- Samhain at Malahide Castle 17 to 31 October
Haunted Trail day and night experiences plus an after dark ghoulish feast at the castle.
- Pumpkins After Dark at Newbridge House October
Thousands of carved pumpkins lit after dark in the Donabate parkland.
Best things to do in Malahide
Malahide Castle & Gardens
A 12th century Talbot castle in 250 acres, with guided rooms, walled gardens, a butterfly house and a fairy trail.
Malahide Castle Walled Garden
Talbot gardens of almost 5000 species plus a Victorian glasshouse, with the butterfly house inside the walls.
Casino Model Railway Museum
Cyril Fry hand built models and a working layout in a thatched cottage, a 45 minute rainy day delight for train fans.
Toots Malahide Road Train
A hop on hop off road train linking the DART station, the village and the castle, easiest with tired children.
Malahide Marina
A 350 berth estuary marina made for a slow walk, best at low tide on a summer evening when the water goes still.
Malahide Beach
A long, gently shelving sandy shore for walking and paddling, with swimming centred on the Low Rock area.
Avoca Malahide
The castle cafe and store, with a garden terrace, a food hall and Irish made gifts worth the budget hazard.
Newbridge House and Farm
A Georgian house and working rare breed farm in 370 acres, the family leaning day out one train stop north.
Where to stay in Malahide
Malahide Village and Marina Front
first visits, couples and anyone without a car
Station, Diamond, restaurants, pubs and the marina are all within a ten minute walk.
Castle / Dublin Road
families, drivers and quiet
Leafy streets by the castle demesne, a short stroll from the station and the restaurants.
Portmarnock
golf and beach stays
The Velvet Strand and two links courses at the door, with Malahide one DART stop away.
Think twice about
- Airport corridor hotels marketed as Malahide
They sit kilometres inland by the Swords Road, so you pay a seaside premium for a motorway address and taxi everywhere.
- Estates behind Portmarnock station
Pleasant suburbia, but a 25 to 30 minute walk from the strand with nothing at the door.
- Temple Bar, Dublin
The city stag and hen core, loud until late, and it turns a calm seaside trip into a commute.
Best restaurants in Malahide
Old Street Restaurant
Modern Irish cooking in two restored old buildings, with dry aged beef, gambas and an award listed wine cellar.
Coast Restaurant at the Grand Hotel Malahide
The smartest room in town, formal Irish cooking and an estuary view if you book the window table.
Seabank Bistro
The seafood bistro locals repeat visit, for crab, halibut and sole handled simply and well.
The Greedy Goose
Small plates over the marina, scallops, monkfish and lamb on a tasting menu built for ordering widely.
Sale e Pepe
A cosy long running dining room at the Diamond, with crab, sea bass and the keenest value in the village.
Sienna's
A small Italian seafood room with Irish Sea views, burrata and ragu alongside serious fish.
Kajjal
A special occasion Indian restaurant with deep vegetarian range, the village pivot away from seafood.
Siam Thai Restaurant - Malahide
The town big group default, fresh, fast and generous Thai cooking with duck pancakes to start.
Outdoor things to do in Malahide
Portmarnock Golf Club
A pure championship links founded in 1894, water on three sides and a test with no tricks and no weak stretch.
The Island Golf Club
A wild, dune backed links across the estuary, founded in 1890 and reached by boat from Malahide until 1973.
Jameson Golf Links
A Langer designed resort links on the Velvet Strand that ordinary visitors can actually book in season.
Malahide Golf Club
The town own club, 27 holes of mature parkland a short drive from the village at well below links prices.
Malahide Castle Pitch and Putt
A 12 hole par 3 course and floodlit tennis in the castle grounds, the cheap and cheerful golf for everyone.
Malahide to Portmarnock Coastal Walk
A one way strand walk between two DART stations, past dunes and links with two islands offshore.
Velvet Strand
Miles of smooth Blue Flag sand for sea swimming with local groups, shallow a long way out and lifeguarded in summer.
Malahide Yacht Club
Dinghy and cruiser sailing on the Broadmeadow Estuary, with courses and junior camps booked by the season.
Best hotels in Malahide
The Grand Hotel Malahide
A 202 room estuary front hotel with a 21 metre pool, the one stay that works in bad weather and with kids.
Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links
A Jameson estate resort on the Velvet Strand, with the links at the door, a spa and sea view rooms.
Malahide Guest Rooms
Ten cosy en suite rooms near the castle, with a kitchen lounge, free parking and a much praised host.
White Sands Hotel
A family run seafront hotel across from the Velvet Strand, long used by golfers and beach families.
Is Malahide expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €70 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €150 a person |
| Splurge | €320 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Malahide Castle & Gardens: a few days ahead
- Portmarnock Golf Club: months ahead
- The Island Golf Club: months ahead
- Jameson Golf Links: weeks ahead
- Malahide Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Malahide Yacht Club: weeks ahead
- Old Street Restaurant: weeks ahead
- Coast Restaurant at the Grand Hotel Malahide: a few days ahead
- Portmarnock Golf Club visitor times book months out and need handicap proof, so fix them before flights.
- Castle concert days sell out beds and dinners, so book both the day you book the ticket.
- Weekend dinners at the Greedy Goose, Siennas, Old Street and Sale e Pepe need reservations even in winter.
- The Casino Model Railway Museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Is Malahide safe?
- Cold water shock is the main swimming risk, so swim with others and respect lifeguard flags.
- Check tide times before the strand walk, as a rising tide can force a road detour.
- Carry a waterproof layer even in July, as Irish weather changes by the hour.
- The emergency number in Ireland is 112, and 999 also works.
Malahide travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The castle at midday in August is a coach group shuffle, so take the first tours of the day.
- Older guides still list Bon Appetit, which is permanently closed.
- Seafront parking fills on sunny Sundays, so take the train instead.
- Malahide has no beach bars, clubs or nightlife strip, so do not arrive expecting a resort.
Getting around Malahide: public transport and more
- Malahide is the DART northern terminus, 25 to 35 minutes from Connolly, with trains every 10 to 20 minutes.
- Buy a Leap Card and tag on and off, the 2026 multi service daily cap for adults is 6 euro.
- Walk five minutes from the station to the village and about fifteen to the castle.
- Do the coastal walk one way between Malahide and Portmarnock stations, with no backtracking.
Who Malahide suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Malahide your trip
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