Want to be king of your own castle? Where better to do it than in Ireland, where the rugged landscape — and torrid history — has left a lasting legacy on the landscape: a near limitless supply of picturesque castles from all periods to suit all tastes.
Helen Cassidy has carved out a niche as a local specialist in castle-brokering and said they’re particularly popular with Americans. Yankee castle buyers aren’t flighty browsers either — they like getting down to business.
“They’re very focused and cut to the chase extremely quickly and do not like competition,” she said. She recalled walking up to a castle in Tipperary, in the pouring rain, with a tattooed and bearded buyer, ready to begin her sales patter. She turned around to see him in tears at the sight of the turrets. “He said, ‘Helen, it’s perfect and here’s the money.’”
Keen to splash some cash like he did? Here’s a trio of on-market options around the country to consider.
The Fortwilliam Estate, Lismore, Co. Waterford
Price: Offers in excess of around $8 million
Specs: This six-bedroom, four-bathroom property is on 216 acres, with 11,940 square feet of floor area with an additional four-bed, three-bath Fisherman’s Cottage in the West Wing.
The castle: Fortwilliam House was built in the Tudor Revival style in 1836, using local veined sandstone and was designed by the Cork-based Pain Brothers, who also masterminded Dromoland Castle and Adare Manor (both now luxury hotels). Previous residents include Adele Astaire, fleet-footed Fred’s sister, and America socialite Mrs. Murray Mitchell, who ran a donkey sanctuary onsite in the 1990s.
The area: Pack some fancy duds for the trip as neighboring Lismore Castle is owned by the British Duke of Devonshire. It’s one of the toniest castles in the country and hosts the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival there in late May. There’s superb salmon fishing in the river Blackwater, too.
The numbers: Don’t worry about monthly overheads: The estate has income-producing rental cottages, like the four-bedroom Steward’s Cottage, plus fly-fishing and land rental which more than offsets the cost of the caretaker who looks after the property four days per week. If you want to renovate the interiors to your own liking, said agent Guy Craigie, budget between $163 to 380 per square foot. If you want to rent the entire estate out during season, per Craigie, expect around $21,700.
Contact: Guy Craigie, Knight Frank
Ballytarsna Castle, Cashel, Co. Tipperary
Price: Around $1.08 million
Specs: This three-bedroom, three-bathroom, measures 2,440 square feet and sits on 18 acres. There is a Great Hall with a large, 15th-century fireplace and the primary bedroom has views out across to the Rock of Cashel.
The castle: Likely built in the mid-1500s, this is a later example of the tower-style house. The British ousted the family who built it, and the castle ended up in ruins. The current owners, who bought it in the late 1990s, spent 11 years restoring it to pristine condition including running a stonemason school there to help produce the pieces needed.
The area: That Rock is one of Ireland’s most spectacular treasures, with human history dating back 1,000 years — it’s where St. Patrick converted King Aengus to Jesus, for one thing. The largest thoroughbred operations in the world, Coolmore, is also in this county.
The numbers: Expect to spend around $650 per month on utilities and earn around $2,000 per weekend if you lease it out. It’s move-in ready, but there’s planning permission in place if you want to invest and extend.
Contact: Helen Cassidy, Premier Properties Ireland
Gowran Castle, Gowran, Co. Kilkenny
Price: Around $2.6 million for the castle, plus an optional extra $1.63 million for its equestrian center.
Specs: This five-bedroom castle (with one extra bedroom in the gate lodge) sits on 14 acres with its own tree-lined avenue entrance. There’s almost 7,900 square feet of livable space. The modern equestrian facilities include 10 stables, with a three-bedroom apartment upstairs and almost 54 acres of land.
The castle: Though a castle was first built on this site by the Butler family in the early 14th century, it was a later 18th-century structure that forms the core of the current house, which was extensively rehabbed by architect William Robertson in the 1800s.
The area: There’s ample to distract horse-mad buyers beyond the equestrian center: racecourses including Clonmel, Curragh and Gowran Park are within easy reach — the latter’s barely a quarter of a mile away. There’s spectacular golf, too, via the Jack Nicklaus-designed Mount Juliet course, also home to the Michelin-endorsed Lady Helen restaurant.
The numbers: The current spiffy condition’s a result of major investment — the place was damaged when it was occupied by anti-treaty forces during the Irish Civil War a century ago; it was reroofed with new windows, heating and more so is for sale in move-in condition. Expect to pay $870 or so for electricity, and you could score a nightly payday of $1,370 if putting it up for rent.
Contact: Josh Pimm, Savills
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