In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,” we visit a medieval fortification transformed into a manor of Georgian classicism.
Malahide’s main entrance is at the center of its protruding south wing, which has square towers at its corners. The four-story west wing on the left seems to guard over the remainder of the castle. Mixing similarity with slight asymmetry allows for aesthetically pleasing variety within a harmonious whole. Irene Fox/Shutterstock
Dating in part from circa 1250 and remaining in the almost uninterrupted possession of the aristocratic Talbot family until 1976, Malahide Castle is among the oldest, most magnificent, and best-preserved structures of its kind in Ireland.
Like many castles of medieval origin, Malahide originated as a fortified stone tower. By around 1400, it had grown to a large rectangular keep, a castle’s strong inner fortification, which in time became the building’s four-story west wing.
Beginning in 1475, a series of additions gradually transformed Malahide into a manor house. A small rectangular south wing extends beyond the western wing. The east wing is slightly shorter than its parallel. At the northeast corner, another rectangular wingextends further east than the rest of the building. All the wings with the central section are three stories high. On the north side, a two-story wing and a wall form two sides of a triangle adjacent to the main building. In the 18th century, Gothic Revival towers were added at three corners, possibly inspired by defensive features removed 100 years before.
The resulting appearance is one of harmonious asymmetry: towers rising from corners, the twin gables’ roofs of the inner section visible above the battlements of the south and east wings, tall chimneys pointing into the air like long fingers. It also combines a sense of protective strength with elegance.
Inside Malahide, style and grace predominate. Several rooms retain a late medieval aesthetic with dark and elaborately carved wooden wainscoting and furniture contrasting with white walls or ceilings. Much of the current interior dates from 18th-century renovations. This interior is permeated by the Georgian style’s gentle classicism with the use of light colors, brightness, and a restrained sense of richness and luxury.
Malahide’s large mullioned windows are typical of styles from the Tudor era, which saw most of the castle’s expansions. The small windows on the two small square towers flanking the entrance are a Gothic Revival touch, based on medieval arrow slits. Shrubs, trees, and ivy that grow around and on Malahide’s walls contribute to a picturesque appearance. Gimas/Shutterstock
A bridge over what little remains of the moat leads to Malahide’s portcullis, the castle's heavy, vertical closing gate. The rough and uneven surface of the walls and bridge, created largely through use of mismatched stones, give an authentic medieval look to this scaled-down model of the original. Irene Fox/Shutterstock
The ceiling, windows, doors, floor, fireplaces, and gallery of the Great Hall retain their original late Gothic appearance. The furniture and its arrangement share that aesthetic while tailored to the needs of Irish gentlemen in more recent centuries. Portraits of 17th- and 18th-century Talbot family members now decorate the room. marcovarro/Shutterstock
What appears to be wallpaper in Malahide's library is actually embossed Spanish leather. The walls are decorated with a mixture of flowers, leaves, and butterflies, reminiscent of medieval tapestries. The wall treatment helps create a Gothic aesthetic. Kit Leong/Shutterstock
Windows from the appropriately named Oak Room give a fine view of the surrounding landscape. The oak paneling covers the walls from floor to ceiling. Just to the left of the window, the panels are intricately carved, which from a distance can deceptively appear to be a rough unfinished surface. Kit Leong/Shutterstock
Malahide’s drawing room is an exemplary Georgian interior. The fireplace, with its columns, capitals and frieze, is modeled on the architecture of classical antiquity. Upholstered furniture added one of the Georgian era’s new forms of comfortable elegance. The walls are painted in a shade of orange distinctive to Malahide. trabantos/Shutterstock
Malahide’s walled garden contains an intricately designed work of art. The symmetrical arrangement is typical of Georgian landscaping. On the right is the butterfly house. Composed mostly of glass for the sake of its winged residents, it's a perfect aesthetic match for its surroundings. luciann.photography/Shutterstock
What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to [email protected]
James Baresel is a freelance writer who has contributed to periodicals as
varied as Fine Art Connoisseur, Military History, Claremont Review of Books,
and New Eastern Europe.
