For those of you who have been concerned about the future of Dowth Hall (see my piece Netterville! Netterville! Where Have You Been? on December 24th last), the estate was sold at auction yesterday. Seemingly there were three interested bidders, the buyer is Irish and paid €5 million for Dowth and surrounding 420 acres (a considerably higher figure than the €3.75m guide price). A lot more will need to be spent if the house, with its ravishing rococo plasterwork, is to be brought back to good condition. Let us hope the new owner is prepared to undertake this task…
*On Thursday February 7th The Irish Times reported that Dowth’s new owner is a County Meath resident, Owen Brennan, who owns a successful agri-technology business.
Good news! (I hope)
I hope so too. I intend to monitor this one; there have been too many instances of houses changing hands and then being allowed fall into desuetude. And Dowth is too important for that to happen.
Can we find out who bought it ? Could the IGS help ? More to talk about in PB. See U soon.
I’ll make some (discreet) enquiries in the coming days.
Add it to our list of topics-to-discuss in PB….
Thank you for the update, I visited Dowth at the weekend a beautiful estate .I do wish the new owner the best of luck.They have a lot of work ahead of them to bring the house and lands back in order.I do hope it will be a labour of love for them.
Excellent that you went to see the place before the sale, and therefore had the chance to know what it looks like unrestored. Yes, one trusts the new owners will bring luck and love to the enterprise…
Who gave you permission to visit Dowth Hall?
Thank you for your email. I visited Dowth last year when it was for sale.
Anybody know where that Netterville family went to? I’ve had the honour of being brought up among the scholars and intellectuals of Meath all my live and I’ve never encountered the surname.
PS: Wasn’t some famous person raised here because his auld fella was a teacher on the estate?
Thank you for your comment. If you look at the main piece on Dowth, you will see among the comments descendants of the Netterville family, and also information about the branch that lived at Dowth. I hope this is of help to you.