GOSFORD CASTLE in Co Armagh, once one of the largest houses in Ireland and home of the second earl of Gosford, a lieutenant-governor of Canada, has seen better days. It was put on the market for £1 by Northern Ireland's forestry service in 2002 and didn't sell for four years.
Now work is well underway on the transformation of the Norman-revival castle into 23 townhouses, aimed at wealthy buyers - with 50 per cent of the profit going to the Northern Ireland exchequer.
Commissioned in 1819 by Archibald Acheson, the second earl of Gosford, it cost £80,000, took 20 years to build and was a financial strain on the family. The earl didn't live to see it completed.
Things began to go downhill in the 20th century - it was used as a billet for American troops during the second World War, later occupied by the British army, used by the office of public records and run as a hotel during the 1980s.
After years lying idle, the castle and its outhouses are being turned into a luxury residential development by developers Ben McCormack and Neil O'Brien.
Hidden in the 593-acre Gosford Forest in Markethill, just 10kms south of Armagh, the castle is an imposing hulk of a structure made from massive blocks of granite from quarries outside Newry.
What Gosford Castle lacks in prettiness it makes up for in atmosphere. It is a maze of wings, keeps and towers and has no less than 10 main staircases. Despite the years of neglect and some water damage, lots of original details remain intact, including a host of mammoth fireplaces, eye-popping plasterwork, original doors and even its own portcullis.
An immense round reception room and an oak-panelled library are standout rooms. Boarded up and forgotten, Gosford is like the castle in Sleeping Beauty, says talkative developer Neil O'Brien.
Architect Boyd Partnership has drawn up a €12 million plan to carve up the main castle into 13 townhouses. Ten units have already been built in the former courtyard buildings and a number of residents have moved in. Owners have the use of a large walled garden and live next door to Gosford Forest Park.
Seventeen of the 23 units have already been sold. Remaining units are for sale through joint agents Best Property Service and Ulster Property Sales.
Prices start at €570,000 for three-bed courtyard homes. At the top end there is the townhouse planned for the garden wing of the castle with 371sq m (4,000sq ft) of living space over five floors and its own lift. Yours for €2.25 million.
