We finished our big anniversary trip to the UK with a few days in Dublin. Along the way of our trip, we visited my grandmother’s birth place and the church Mark’s great great grandfather grew up in. Ireland held more family roots for both of us. My mother’s family hails from Ireland, though many of them left for England before making the trek to America. Mark’s family roots are a tad more visible, as in a giant castle.
A picture of a castle hung in Mark’s childhood home and jokingly called it his family castle. His mom said Mark and his brothers asked her to buy it when they were young. Little did I know it was real, his family really traces to the Talbot family that lived in that castle!
The Malahide Castle is a short train ride north from Dublin. A handful of stops and we landed in the town of Malahide. It was a beautiful walk from the train station and around the perimeter of the grounds and to the entrance area. Upon arriving at the ticket booth, we realized we went the long way. Oops, it was a very pretty mistake that I’d do again.
While waiting for the tour to start, we walked around the assembling room checking out all the Talbot pictures and heirlooms, I mean family items. While I checked out the different pieces, Mark struck up a conversation with the other really tall guy in the room. They had a lot more in common than being able to see over every single person waiting for the tour. Turns out, he was a Talbot, a Malahide Castle Talbot. Mark told him what he knew about his connection and they both laughed that they were probably related. I had to get their picture. As they posed I noticed some similarities besides the height. Could this really be, could they really be related?
The castle has been in the Talbot family for nearly 800 years, from the late 1100’s until 1976. Rose, the last of the Talbot’s to possess the castle, died in 1975 and it was subsequently sold to the Irish State in part to cover the huge inheritance tax.
The guided tour covers several rooms in the castle, beginning in the Oak Room. Our guide explained that in the beginning, this was the main room of the house, kind of like a family room is today. This room was also the family bedroom, animals included when necessary. She explained that this was done for the safety of everyone. Thinking of the cows sleeping an arms length away was amusing. How did anyone get a good night sleep. Our Marlee dog can really snore; imagine what a few cows and horses would sound like.
The small drawing room was next. The differences between the two rooms was striking. This room was a vibrant orange, Talbot Orange, with lots light colored furnishings and paintings covering the walls. Our guide talked about the original furnishings that remain and the distinguishing lion head which marks it as a Talbot piece. Of course Mark and I were searching for that lion in every room!
One interesting tidbit involves pineapples. They were considered very exotic and as such, very expensive. Apparently it was a really big deal to have a pineapple at your party. You didn’t eat it, it was a showpiece decoration that showed your guests just how wealthy and important you were, basically showing off. Some people didn’t even buy them, they rented them! Seems so silly now since we can get a pineapple just about year round at our local grocery store. But, if you think about it, having one at your castle in Ireland was a really big deal. By the time it arrived, that pretty pineapple had traveled thousands of miles by boat just to get to you.
Upstairs we got a glimpse of their bedrooms. Our guide explained how and when different wings were added to the castle. I found it interesting that the parents slept in different rooms. His room was much more practical. They both had dressing rooms which today would be called walk-in closets. There was one bathroom at the end of the hall that was shockingly modern for the times. Our guide explained how hot water would be brought up for the bath tub then everyone would bathe. Parents first, then kids in age order with the poor baby getting the dirtiest water last. She said this is where the phrase, “Throw the baby out with the bath water” came from. Could the water really be that dirty to miss seeing a baby in it?!
The tour ended in the Great Hall, a majestic room where our guide told stories of the movers and shakers of the time dining here. It’s one of those rooms I’d love to listen to the walls talk about lively conversations and shenanigans that happened. The furnishings and details of the room were fascinating. I lingered as long as I could checking it all out before our guide gently told me it was time to go. Boo.
We walked to the Visitors Center then through the Rose Garden, Walled Garden and Victoria House. The gardens were spectacular with blooming flowers showing off in late spring. Whoever was in charge of the gardens over that last few hundred years did a masterful job laying them all out and tending to them.
As we walked back to the train station we talked about how this anniversary trip had become an ancestral trip. We learned so much about both sides of our families. Seeing both our family history, people that died long before we were born, was just plain amazing. Simply amazing.