Whiskey & Castle Tour
While we can’t bring everyone to the ancient Castle on Lambay, we can certainly offer you an alternative castle tour experience on the mainland in North County Dublin with the Malahide Castle Tour and tasting experience!
Enjoy a fun and informative tour of Malahide Castle followed by a very unique whiskey tasting experience starting Saturdays Sept 4th through to November.
This Autumn many folks are staycationing on home turf, so why not consider being an Irish tourist and explore some of the great places in North County Dublin that are open to visitors?
Immerse yourself in the history and rich decor of Malahide Castle through a special guided tour followed by a very unique 3 part Whiskey Tasting Experience hosted by Whiskey Island expert John Callely.
Every Saturday at 5 pm, Malahide Castle will offer this fun and informative comparative Whiskey Tasting Experience after your guided tour. Sample and compare the premium, craft Lambay Irish Whiskey to a Scotch to an American Whiskey whilst learning about the history and journey of Irish Whiskey up to the present day.
Did you know?
Lambay Island is historically connected to Malahide Castle, in 1814, Margaret Talbot, widow of Richard Talbot (1735-1788), and then living in Eccles Street, agreed to purchase the island and the fishing rights from Sir William Wolseley for £6,500. Women sometimes get short shrift in the pages of history, and Margaret is no exception. She was the child of James O’Reilly and Barbara Nugent. The Nugents were a noble English family, and her brother Hugh would (on achieving a baronetcy) take the name over the more plebeian O’Reilly. Her younger brother Andrew would also join the aristocracy – as Andreas Graf O’Reilly von Ballinlough. He emigrated to Austria at the age of 14, joined the army and rose through the ranks fighting against Napoleon. He married into an aristocratic Austrian family and became a Count of the Austrian Empire. With siblings like this, Margaret would need to work hard to stand out – but this she did, becoming a power to be reckoned with. In 1831, at the age of 86, she was created Baroness Talbot of Malahide. It was rare for a woman to receive such an honour in their own right, and it was a sign of the influence Lady Margaret held. In her new role she attended the coronation of William IV, before dying at the age of 89.
In the first half of the 19th century, the clergy of mainland Rush began to move parishioners from Rush to the island where they agreed with the Archbishop to look after the spiritual needs of the inhabitants. In 1831 the number of people living on the island was 84. It rose to over 100 in the 1840’s with over 40 pupils attending the national school. Further details on this history can be found in the Malahide historical society web pages.
Booking and Duration of Tour:
The tour and tasting will last approx. 1hr 15 minutes. Online pre- booking is advised as there are just a limited number of places to ensure social distancing and an enjoyable quality experience for all.
Tickets are priced at €35 pp. Tickets need to be collected from the Visitor Centre at least 10 minutes before your tour time. Ticket holders must be over 18 and please note photo ID may be requested at ticket collection.
View the video of this great experience here!