In Adare, fantasy homes near fairytale castle

Two lavish homes on the grounds of Adare Manor in Co Limerick have acres of space, at much reduced prices

STAIRCASES borrowed from Gone With The Wind, chandeliers to rival those in the grandest hotel ballroom and kitchens big enough to cook dinner for 100 are some of the features to be found in two vast residences that have come on the market in the 840-acre Adare Manor estate in Adare, Co Limerick. Winterwood, an eight-bedroom eight-bathroom house on 2.8 acres of land is one of the largest houses to have been built on the estate with a staggering 1,579sq m (17,000sq ft) of living space. Having once attracted a bid of €10 million (the sale did not go through), it is now for sale at €3.8 million through joint agents Sherry FitzGerald O'Malley and Knight Frank.

Nearby, number 13 The Demesne, may be smaller at 836sq m (9,000sq ft) but still you get a swimming pool in its separate wing, a grand drawingroom with French baronial-style fireplace and just over three-quarters of an acre of formal gardens. The price here is €2 million and Sherry FitzGerald is the sole selling agent.

The two houses are part of an enclave of 19 homes of differing sizes and styles that share the same entrance as the five-star hotel. Residents, according to a local source, include a few “Dellionaires” referring to executives of the Dell campus at Raheen that employs 1,000 people, and the Nilands, parents of the Irish tennis player, Conor Niland.

Elsewhere on the walled estate a further 115 homes have been built and all but a handful of these have been sold as either permanent or holiday homes. These houses have a separate entrance from the village and have separate grounds and parkland at some distance from the hotel.

Winterwood is far and away the largest site and the largest house in the estate. Built by one of the state’s leading builders, Sisk, the three-storey house has a striking atrium hallway that is lit by the largest-ever privately commissioned Waterford Crystal chandelier.

The owner, a property developer, had intended to live here, but his plans changed and it has been quietly on the market for some time. “The owner went to great pains to build this, and it is properly done,” says selling agent Des O’Malley, drawing attention to features which include high security, private generators, hand-crafted plasterwork and timberwork, top-of-the-range kitchen equipment and top-grade materials. The grounds are landscaped and divided into different areas, including lawns and woodland.

Number 13 is no less grand in design with a style that is part-Lutyens, part-French provincial manor. It too has a spectacular entrance hallway, dominated by an elaborately curving staircase; a large drawingroom, open-plan kitchen-cum-diningroom; five en suite bedrooms and two further bathrooms. The grounds are laid out in a formal style: a rectangular sunken garden lined with lavender plants.

Both houses come with full membership of the Adare Manor golf club, and all residents have the use of the hotel and its facilities. Service charge on each property is around €4,500 a year, which includes security and insurance.

The fairytale castle, beloved of brides and wealthy Americans, is one of many Irish hotels that have surrendered part of their grounds to housing developments in recent years. Mount Juliet, Carton House, the K Club and Killeen Castle have had holiday homes built around them.