Fingal County Council launched a new Tropical Butterfly House which showcases twenty species of Butterflies and their life cycle in Malahide Castle on Saturday 21 July. The project commenced over 3 years ago and is the first Butterfly House in the Republic of Ireland. The Butterfly House is located in the Cambridge Glasshouse which was built to house Lord Milo Talbot’s tropical flower collection.
Speaking at the launch, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Anthony Lavin said: “The tropical Butterfly House is a wonderful addition to the Malahide Castle and Gardens. Malahide Castle is a significant historical and cultural site and the Tropical Butterfly House offers an exciting new experience to the 200,000 visitors who come to Malahide Castle annually.”
The addition follows developments of the site’s botanical gardens as well as a Fairy Trail. Butterflies are particular with their food plants. These plants had to be acquired gradually as some cannot be bought and have been sourced through specialist growers and some from the seed of wild plants.
The glasshouse allows visitors to watch caterpillars feed on the plants and grow from larva to fully grown butterflies.
Commenting on the launch, Fingal County Council’s Administrative Officer Caroline Power said: “The launch of the Butterfly House was a great opportunity for Fingal County Council to showcase this new addition to Malahide Castle. The new Butterfly House complements the Medieval Castle, its courtyard, shopping centre, café and parkland making it a location which can be enjoyed by people of all ages.”
Fingal County Council’s Chief Executive Paul Reid said: “I’m delighted to see such a unique attraction being launched at Malahide Castle. I would like to congratulate the Parks and Operations teams on the development of this innovative project. This latest addition to Malahide Castle is an example of Fingal County Council’s dedication to maintaining and improving the county’s regional and local parklands and open spaces.”
