Malahide

Malahide, originally uploaded by infomatique.

Malahide is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city. It has a village-like centre and extensive residential areas to the south, west and northwest.

Malahide grew from a population of 67 in 1921 to 1500 in 1960 and later to between 20,000 and 25,000 in 2006, and is still a rapidly growing town for the Dublin area. Most of the population lives outside the core, in residential areas such as Seapark, Biscayne, Robswall, Chalfont, Yellow Walls, Ard Na Mara, Seabury and Gainsborough.

In Malahide village there are extensive retail facilities and services including fashion boutiques, hair and beauty salons, florists, food outlets, and a small shopping centre. Traditional shopfronts and several cobble-lock side streets give the village an intimate and welcoming feel. There are a broad range of pubs (including Gibney's, Smyth's and Duffy's) and restaurants and the 150-room Grand Hotel.

Near to the village itself is Malahide Castle and demesne, including, gardens, which were once the estate of Baron Talbot of Malahide.

The area has two Roman Catholic parishes, a Church of Ireland parish and forms part of a Presbyterian community, with a church built in 1956 as the first Presbyterian church in the Republic of Ireland since 1922 (it is one of two churches of the Congregation of Howth and Malahide).

Malahide was the hometown of U2 musicians Adam Clayton and The Edge.
Notable Malahide residents: Ronan Keating, Brendan Gleeson, Westlife's Nicky Byrne, Cecilia Ahern, Vincent Browne and Olympic sailors David Burrows & Ciara Peelo.