Dublin is truly a fair city. I loved the bridges and the river views. We stayed in a B&B there that looked out across a bay and the host suggested that we take the day to have a look at Malahide Castle. It was very interesting as the castle had been in the Talbot family since 1185 and the final living member of the family only sold it to the local council in the 1973 and moved to the family estate in Tasmania, yes Tassie.
Lord Milo Talbot was renowned for collecting plants from the Southern Hemisphere and he created a walled botanical garden. He apparently wrote an introduction to a book called The Endemic Flora of Tasmania. Many of the plants in and around the Castle are Australian natives; eucalyptus, wattle; gravillia etc. Note the gum tree at the front of the Castle in this picture. I have to say when I crushed the leaves in my fingers I was transported immediately to Strawbella and felt quite homesick.
The furniture in the place was old and interesting and much of it had been in the family for centuries. The local Fingal Council, who now own the place are collecting examples of Irish furniture of the period. The families influence on history was also interesting. It was said that 14 members of the family had breakfast together in the dining room before going off to fight the famous Battle of the Boyne, where they were all killed. Oliver Cromwell gave the Castle to one of his supporters, Miles Corbet, who was later hung, drawn and quartered when the Castle was returned to the Talbots in 1660 after Cromwell passed over.
There was also a brilliant collection of minature furniture from Irish cabinet makers. Apparently when apprenticed cabinet makers were in the final year they made a number of minature pieces to show thier customers what they could do. The customers would then be able to order the full size piece with confidence that the craftsman could do a good job. The minatures were absolute masterpieces in their own right.
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