West Cork: €20 millionA Gothic ruin fronting onto Glengarriff Bay in west Cork comes to the market with full planning permission for a 94-bedroom hotel and 18 apartments.
Glengarriff Castle dates from the 1790s and was built by Colonel Simon White, brother of the first Earl of Bantry. The castle was operated as a resort until the late 1970s.
Now a Cork-based consortium is selling the romantic ruin complete with planning permission for its transformation into a luxury hotel.
Co Galway-based estate agent Helen Cassidy is asking €20 million for the castle which is for sale by private treaty.
The castle's 45 acres extends from the main Bantry Road to the shoreline of Glengarriff Harbour. There are superb views over the island-dotted Bantry Bay. It has extensive woodlands with a large variety of trees and wildlife, including red squirrel and deer.
The proposed hotel has all that would be expected of a luxury destination with three luxury suites, two restaurants, two bars, a conference centre and leisure centre with spa. Because it is a conservation and restoration project, the highly unusual commercial site comes with the benefit of section 482 tax breaks. Architect's plans for a further 32 holiday homes also come with the package.
