Publican Louis Fitzgerald will have an opportunity to develop a serious horsey habit now that he has bought the stylish Corbally Stud, near Celbridge in Co Kildare. Fitzgerald, who has 10 pubs including The Poitin Still, Kehoes in South Anne Street and The Quays in Galway, has paid around £3.5 million for the early 18th century main house along with 145 acres. The property has been voted one of the top commercial studs in Europe, having produced the winners of 1,350 races. Apart from his success in the pub trade, Fitzgerald has a sharp eye for property investments. About three years ago he bought Baldonnel House and a nice strip of land which will undoubtedly be developed if the State decides to commercialise Baldonnel airport.

Corbally was only one of a handful of stud farms that came on the market last year. A few years ago, when the bloodstock industry was going through hard times, there was a constant stream of farms being put on the block. Now that the good times are back, there are few opportunities of getting your hands on a decent stud farm. Maynooth agent Willie Coonan can consider himself an expert in the field, having sold no less than 38 stud farms with over 6,000 acres in the last decade, including Corbally. The joint agent was Peter Kieran of Lisney.