Malahide Castle
Malahide County Dublin Ireland
Tel: 353 (0) 1 846-2184
Website : www. malahidecastle. com/malahidecastle/ghost. asp
Malahide Castle was the fortress of the Talbot family from 1185 to 1973. Located northeast of Dublin on the Irish coast, the name "Malahide" literally means "on the brow of the sea." Lord Richard Talbot first arrived in the area in 1170 from Shrewsbury in England, where his family were also lords. King Henry Il's son, Prince John, confirmed Talbot's lordship of the Malahide land. The earliest parts of the castle were built around 1185, and as time went by and new generations of Lord Talbots came into power, they built onto the structure, turning the castle into one of the most breathtaking landmarks in Ireland. The castle was home for the Talbots and their servants for almost eight centuries except for a brief period between 1649 and 1660, when Cromwell granted the castle and its lands to Miles Corbet.
The most renowned of the Talbots' servants was Puck. Puck served the Tal-bots in the first half of the 16th century. He was a 4-foot-tall bearded man who lived in one of the castle's turrets, keeping a vigilant watch for attack. (Today the stairs ascending to his former chamber are referred to as "Puck's staircase.") Puck was reclusive, but tidy and loyal. The lore of the castle says he kept to himself mostly, his quarters were always clean, and after the other servants left food out for him outside of his chamber door, the next morning they would always find his plates and utensils cleaned and waiting for pickup. There are two differing tales surrounding Puck's death—one version says he hung himself in the Minstrel's Gallery within the castle for no apparent reason. The other version of the story says Puck was in love with a relative of Lady Lenora Fitzgerald. The infatuation angered some in Lady Fitzgerald's court, who stabbed Puck through the heart outside of Malahide Castle. No matter how Puck died, his ghost has been spotted on many occasions since. A ghost of small stature has been seen peering out of the turret window, walking along outside, on his staircase, and in the Great Hall where, in 1976, a man from Sotheby's auction was appraising some items for an upcoming auction when he saw the short, bearded man looking at him from the staircase. This man had no prior knowledge of Puck or any castle ghosts, but when he described who he saw to people who worked in the castle, they knew he had seen Puck.
Another curious bit of lore involves the carved chimneypiece in the Oak Room within the castle. The sculpture portrays the ascent of the Virgin Mary. According to the legend, during the years that Miles Corbet ruled Malahide Castle, the depiction of Mary vanished. After Corbet left and the Talbots returned, so too did Mary in the sculpture.
Malahide Castle also has its own version of the White Lady—believed to be the mysterious and unknown woman whose portrait hangs in the Great Hall. The legend says she occasionally leaves her painting to wander the grounds.