When it comes to castles, the Scots, not to mention the Welsh and English, usually have the edge on the Irish. But when it comes to the unsung delights of Malahide Castle, there is an outside chance that the Irish might even have managed to outshine their neighbours.

A 15 minute drive from Dublin airport, or a short ride on the D suburban railway from O’Connell Street if you happen to be part of a stag or hen party and a hangover precludes any proximity to a steering wheel, Malahide is a castle to make a Hollywood location scout coo with delight, ticking off the turrets, battlements, gothic windows and sea views.

It looks pretty good on its 800 years. From 1185 until 1973 it was home to the Talbot family (once they found a place they liked, the Talbots took some shifting).

Castles usually look better from outside, but the interiors at Malahide are richly adorned with period furniture, portraits and medieval paraphernalia. The family history is colourful. The ghoulish will be drawn by the dining room, where 14 members of the Talbot family sat down for breakfast on the morning of the Battle of the Boyne, and not one came back. Don’t worry, they’ve changed the caterers since then and the restaurant comes highly recommended.

If you get tired of crenellations, you can enjoy the Talbot botanic gardens, laid out in the last century by Lord Milo Talbot, one of the family’s more sensitive scions. Look back up at that grand edifice and be quietly content that it is one of the few buildings in these parts not owned by U2. Yet.

Opening times: Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sundays and public holidays 10am-6pm April-September and11am-5pm October-March. Closed for tours 12.45pm-2pm.

Admission: adults, €6.70 (£4.50); concession, €5.70: children under 12, €4.20; family, €19.

Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies to Dublin from Aberdeen, Glasgow Prestwick and Edinburgh from £24.10 return including taxes.

Times Recommends

• The Times celebrates its 225th birthday
• Heath discussed IMF loan during 1974 crisis
• Britain’s loneliest café opens for business