Malahide

 ( Civil Parishes Of The Barony Of Coolock ) 

Malahide Castle, which dominates the area, was constructed after Henry II granted an extensive area of land north of Dublin to Sir Richard Talbot in 1176. The castle evolved from this, and remained in the hands of the Talbot family until 1976, aside from a short period where it was seized by Oliver Cromwell.

There is an ancient covered well, St. Sylvester's, on the old main street (Old Street, previously Chapel Street), which used to have a "pattern" (a patronal festival) to Our Lady each 15 August.

In 1475 Thomas Talbot, head of the Talbot family of Malahide Castle, was granted the title Admiral of the port of Malahide by King Edward IV, with power to hold admiralty courts and levy customs duties on all merchandise coming into the port. The office was hereditary, and the family's right to act as Admiral was confirmed by the Court of Exchequer (Ireland) in 1639.Mosley, ed. Burke's Peerage 107th Edition Delaware 2003 Vol. 3 p.3853

By the early 19th century, the village had a population of over 1000, and a number of local industries, including salt harvesting, while the harbour continued in commercial operation, with landings of coal and construction materials. By 1831, the population had reached 1223. The area grew in popularity in Georgian times as a seaside resort for wealthy Dublin city dwellers. This is still evident today from the fine collection of Georgian houses in the town and along the seafront, and Malahide is still a popular spot for day-trippers, especially in the summer months.

31 March 1926, four members of the McDonnell family and two of their employees, who lived in La Mancha House in Malahide, were poisoned with arsenic and beaten to death; the house was then set on fire. Their gardener Henry McCabe was controversially convicted of their murders and hanged.

In the 1960s, developers began to build housing estates around the village core of Malahide, launching the first, Ard na Mara, in 1964. Further estates followed, to the northwest, south and west, but the village core remained intact, with the addition of a "marina apartment complex" development, adjacent to the coastal village green.

There are a number of shops and service outlets in the village core, including a small shopping centre, a supermarket, fashion , Beauty salon, florists, art galleries, book shops, food outlets, and a service station. There are multiple pubs, cafés and restaurants, and there is also the historic Grand Hotel. Malahide has the highest median household income of any large census town in Ireland, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

For elections to Fingal County Council, Malahide forms part of the seven-seat local electoral area of Howth–Malahide.

Malahide is also a civil parish in the ancient barony of Coolock within the traditional County Dublin. Placenames Database of Ireland – Malahide civil parish

The Malahide area has a number of residents' associations, some of which, as of May 2007, worked together through the Malahide Community Forum, which publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Malahide Guardian.

There is a Lions club, a camera club, a musical and drama society, the Enchiriadis choirs, a chess club and a photography group. The Malahide Pipe Band was established in 1954 and still practices in the same area, in Yellow Walls, today.

In 1990, Malahide won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition.