Loftus Hall, the Wexford property reputed to be Ireland’s most haunted house, has been sold for €3 million.
The property, which sits on 27.68 hectares (68 acres) overlooking Hook Peninsula and the landmark Hook Lighthouse, has been acquired by investor Patrick McDermott. An accountant by profession, Mr McDermott comes from a beef-farming background in Co Meath and has over the past 13 years been involved in the acquisition of mixed-use and commercial properties across Dublin city centre.
He is also the founder of Meath-based Star Stone Property Group, whose portfolio includes High Street Ashbourne, which it acquired for €12.5 million, and Southgate Shopping Centre in Drogheda, which it purchased for €13.2 million. Star Stone has completed a number of deals in Dublin and Cork with backing from London-based bookmaker and owner of Star Sports Ben Keith, and Brighton FC owner Anthony Bloom.
Built originally between 1870 and 1871 on the site of Redmond Hall, which traces its history to 1350, Loftus Hall briefly comprises a detached nine-bay, three-storey house with a total gross internal area (GIA) of 2,460.7sq m (26,487.15sq ft). The property underwent extensive renovations between 1872 and 1884 in anticipation of a visit by Queen Victoria. The visit never went ahead, and the Loftus family was left heavily in debt.
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In 1890, the last remaining member of the Loftus family died, and the estate was put up for sale. It was later operated as a convent by the Sisters of Providence and then between the 1980s and late 1990s as the Loftus Hall Hotel. In 2011, the property was acquired by the Quigley family and opened to the public as a tourist attraction centred on its ghostly reputation.
[ When you’re renovating a haunted hotel, the divil is in the detailOpens in new window ]
In 2022, Paddy McKillen jnr and Matt Ryan’s Oakmount paid €1.75 million to acquire Loftus Hall and set about restoring and converting the property into a boutique hotel. Having spent millions of euro on the project, Mr McKillen instructed agent Collier to find a buyer for the house and its estate in April of this year. While offers of €4 million were sought initially, Mr McDermott moved to secure ownership of the property when the price was reduced to €3 million.
While Mr McDermott was unavailable for comment on his plans for Loftus Hall, The Irish Times understands that he intends to complete the ambitious restoration of the 28,586sq ft main house begun by its previous owners, transforming it into a luxurious 22-bedroom hotel with diningrooms and guest lounges. Further plans include the addition of 60 bedrooms and eco pods, focusing on the integration of the land and the hotel.
It is understood that Mr McDermott plans to rebrand Loftus Hall as the Loftus Estate and to establish its four-acre walled garden and 68 acres of land as a working farm with livestock, low-impact energy solutions, landscaping, rewilding where appropriate and cultivation of local crops. He is also understood to be planning to exploit the estate’s microclimate to grow vines to produce wine, and to grow barley for a micro distillery, making the Loftus Estate one of Ireland’s first agri-based hotels. There are also plans for natural swimming pools and outdoor spa areas within the estate’s walled gardens.
Apart from Loftus Hall, Mr McDermott is also involved with his wife, Lee Rock, in the development of Anu-Sanctuary, a multimillion-euro, nature-rooted, self-catering retreat outside Ashbourne that is set to open for business in 2027.
