Casino Model Railway Museum
Museum in a restored thatched cottage in Malahide showing Cyril Fry’s handmade model trains, a working layout and the story of Irish railways.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Casino Model Railway Museum occupies the Casino, a small thatched cottage orné that has stood in Malahide village for over 200 years. Fingal County Council acquired and restored the building in 2012, helped by a bequest, and the museum opened its doors in 2019.
Its core is the collection of Cyril Fry (born 1905), an engineer at the Inchicore railway works in Dublin who built more than 350 precision models of Irish trains in his spare time, working from original railway drawings and casting small parts in his own moulds. After his death in 1972 the models passed to Dublin tourism interests, were first shown at the Inchicore works, and from 1988 were displayed in an exhibition at Malahide Castle that closed in 2011.
Today the models are shown alongside a modern working layout inspired by Fry’s original attic railway. Displays and interactive exhibits trace the history of Irish railways, and Malahide station next door, which opened in 1844, is part of the story. A children’s space created with Irish Rail and Alstom lets young visitors experience a life-size train carriage and try driving a train.
Highlights
- Cyril Fry’s collection of handmade models of Irish trains
- Modern working model railway layout
- Interactive displays on the history of Irish railways
- The Irish Rail Room, a children’s space with a life-size carriage simulation
- Historic thatched cottage next to Malahide station
Permanent exhibitions
- The Cyril Fry Collection – More than 350 precision models of Irish trains built by the engineer Cyril Fry, shown with a modern working layout inspired by his original attic railway.
- The Irish Rail Room – A children’s interpretive space with a life-size train carriage, a simulated journey and a chance to try driving a train, created with Irish Rail and Alstom.
- Founded
- 2019
Admission & discounts
| Seniors | –Senior tickets are for visitors aged 65 and over. |
|---|---|
| Students & apprentices | –Students may be asked to show a student card. |
| Groups (10+ people) | –Groups of 10 or more book by email. |
Tickets are booked online; current prices are shown in the booking system. An annual membership pass covers the museum, Malahide Castle & Gardens and Newbridge House & Farm (adult €80, senior or student €60, joint seniors €90, family €150 for two adults and up to three children). Combination tickets with the Malahide Castle Fairy Trail are available.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum states that it is fully wheelchair accessible and has an accessible toilet. There are two disabled parking bays on site to the left of the building. Wheelchairs cannot be borrowed. Dogs are not permitted in the grounds of the Casino.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|
- Hands-on stations
The museum describes itself as ideal for children from 4 years upwards. Interactive displays and hands-on exhibits are included, and the Irish Rail Room is a children’s space for ages 5 to 7 where children take a simulated train journey and try driving a train.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Malahide station · 3-min walk
DART and Northern Commuter trains to Malahide station; leave the station, turn right and walk about 3 minutes. Dublin Bus routes H2 and 42 from the city centre and Go-Ahead Ireland route 102 from the airport and Sutton stop within about 2 minutes’ walk.
By car
Parking available · 1-min walk to the entrance
The large Bridgefield car park is directly opposite the museum (free for the first hour). Limited parking at the train station and metered on-street parking in the village. Free parking is also available in the Malahide Castle car park, a 10-minute walk away (enter by the main gate on Back Road). Two disabled bays are on site.
- Accessible parking
Malahide is 13 km from Dublin city centre, about 10 minutes by car from Dublin Airport and 10 minutes from the M1 and M50 motorways.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
There is no café on site; cafés and restaurants are about 2 minutes’ walk away in Malahide village. ATMs are in the village.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visitors usually allow 40 minutes to 1 hour. Self-guided visits, scripted guided tours (the Cyril Fry story and a short history of Irish railways), combination tours with Malahide Castle and school tours are offered. |
