For sale: 'Westport House' AMV: €10,000,000.00

voz es

It would be a great loss to the region if the doors of this cultural and tourism gem is to be closed.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/westport-house-and-estate-put-up-for-sale-1.2521710

Noted it is a nicely timed announcement with a general election just called, but it might well have been needed.

irishgeo

voz es wrote: »

It would be a great loss to the region if the doors of this cultural and tourism gem is to be closed.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/westport-house-and-estate-put-up-for-sale-1.2521710

Noted it is a nicely timed announcement with a general election just called, but it might well have been needed.

Sad to see but inevitable with management having the loan. The land going with it will be in huge demand especially in Westport where good development land is at a premium.

Tabnabs

A very interesting read here on Westport House, Nama, Cerberus and Fine Gael

https://twitter.com/namawinelake

What a dirty & tangled web...

Del.Monte

The State should step-in here and buy the whole shooting match before the house ends up like Adare Manor which becam a playground for the rich following its sale. The contents should not be dispersed as happened in Adare - this sort of history is irreplaceable.

Kristopherus

Del.Monte wrote: »

The State should step-in here and buy the whole shooting match before the house ends up like Adare Manor which becam a playground for the rich following its sale. The contents should not be dispersed as happened in Adare - this sort of history is irreplaceable.

Agreed. And all efforts should be made to ensure that vultures such as Cerebus are kept well away.

StewartGriffin

Del.Monte wrote: »

The State should step-in here and buy the whole shooting match before the house ends up like Adare Manor which becam a playground for the rich following its sale. The contents should not be dispersed as happened in Adare - this sort of history is irreplaceable.

Tricky one. 10 million for the Brownes might keep Enda's seat safe but imagine how much ammo that would give to the other parties, (not to mention the media.)

Del.Monte

Ireland has a tiny handful of genuine Stately homes (open to the public) left and even fewer with their original contents - Strokestown House, Lissadell and Birr Castle come to mind but the latter is the only one with the original family in situ. Abbeyleix House was another to succumb some years ago, and it's not as if Ireland has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to genuine tourist attractions. An embarrassment of failed tourist projects such as the Cavan & Leitrim Railway, the Jeanie Johnson, the Tralee/Blennerville Railway, the Corlea Trackway but little genuine heritage i.e the thing that brings in visitors.

Kristopherus

StewartGriffin wrote: »

Tricky one. 10 million for the Brownes might keep Enda's seat safe but imagine how much ammo that would give to the other parties, (not to mention the media.)

Sod the politics. Its imperative it is acquired for the enjoyment of the public/tourists. I can't see Ring letting this slip through his fingers.

nuac

irishgeo wrote: »

Sad to see but inevitable with management having the loan. The land going with it will be in huge demand especially in Westport where good development land is at a premium.

Afaik much of the land around Wpt House is not zoned for housing

HeidiHeidi

Kristopherus wrote: »

Sod the politics. Its imperative it is acquired for the enjoyment of the public/tourists. I can't see Ring letting this slip through his fingers.

Have the family not been asking the government for ages to buy the house/land? And have now finally decided to put it on the market as the government sat on their hands?

godskitchen

Apparently Ring turned up at Westport House today for a funeral, it turned out the funeral was for the house.

Ring won't do a thing to save the place, he can't, wouldn't know how and ultimately isn't capable. He's a small time fixer and word is he is called the "Minister for small amounts of money" within his own party.

nuac

godskitchen wrote: »

Apparently Ring turned up at Westport House today for a funeral, it turned out the funeral was for the house.

Ring won't do a thing to save the place, he can't, wouldn't know how and ultimately isn't capable. He's a small time fixer and word is he is called the "Minister for small amounts of money" within his own party.

Many in FG look down on Ring because he did not go to the "right" posh school.
In fact he went to the CBS and local Tech, and did not get as far as the Leaving Cert. He started a bread round in West Mayo, and built up that business, putting a second van on the road.

Later became an auctioneer as word was that FG would prefer to have a candidate who went to work in a suit.

He worked his way up in politics thru' Westport Urban Council and Mayo County Council. He has built up a big vote as a TD. Part FG, part personal. People joke about the funerals, but in the West it is considered a courtesy to go to funerals. The bereaved remember who attend, and who haven't.

His energetic backing of Kenny in 2010 had a lot to do with Kenny's defeat of the heave. He may not claim to be a strategic statesman for the longterm, but there is no better man for ground hurling

The benefits of a Mayo Taoiseach were somewhat oversold, to put it mildly, by FG canvassers in 2011. Enda will lose votes over that now. Ring will not lose that many.

Westport House is an important part of Westport's tourism structure. That family have done a lot since 1960 to attract tourists to the area.

they deserve help to keep it going. That is a general view in Westport. Ring will do his best

Westernyelp

nuac wrote: »

Many in FG look down on Ring because he did not go to the "right" posh school.
In fact he went to the CBS and local Tech, and did not get as far as the Leaving Cert. He started a bread round in West Mayo, and built up that business, putting a second van on the road.

Later became an auctioneer as word was that FG would prefer to have a candidate who went to work in a suit.

He worked his way up in politics thru' Westport Urban Council and Mayo County Council. He has built up a big vote as a TD. Part FG, part personal. People joke about the funerals, but in the West it is considered a courtesy to go to funerals. The bereaved remember who attend, and who haven't.

His energetic backing of Kenny in 2010 had a lot to do with Kenny's defeat of the heave. He may not claim to be a strategic statesman for the longterm, but there is no better man for ground hurling

The benefits of a Mayo Taoiseach were somewhat oversold, to put it mildly, by FG canvassers in 2011. Enda will lose votes over that now. Ring will not lose that many.

Westport House is an important part of Westport's tourism structure. That family have done a lot since 1960 to attract tourists to the area.

they deserve help to keep it going. That is a general view in Westport. Ring will do his best

Is that you Micheal? Hope you are right. Seriously though, if it went to the right buyer it could turn out to be a positive thing. A company with a track record in the sector and a bit of financial clout behind them could make it a very successful attraction.

I think the government could play a role in ensuring the right buyer is found.

Del.Monte

It needs to be kept in the family in much the same way as many National Trust properties are in the UK. Once it becomes a Trust (like Russborough House) or a theme park, it might as well be flogged off and the contents dispersed to the four corners.

finisklin

nuac wrote: »

Many in FG look down on Ring because he did not go to the "right" posh school.

Crikey on this basis FG could be in trouble - John Perry, Pascal Donohoe and even Inda himself could be in serious bother. Internal implosion due to non attendance at a fee paying school.

Thats probably the problem with Bruton, Coveney and Varadkar is that veneer of intelligence. Plus they try to hard which makes them look wooden.

yorlum11

It needs to be in the hands of a proven company/person who has the financial clout and tourism savvy. Simple as that really. If you look at ticket prices and what you get it doesn't hold a candle to other tourism ventures at home and abroad. Time for new blood.

maudgonner

It's listed on Daft, for anyone who's looking to make a bid

plodder

maudgonner wrote: »

It's listed on Daft, for anyone who's looking to make a bid

Shouldn't it have a BER rating if it's for sale? :pac:

voz es

plodder wrote: »

Shouldn't it have a BER rating if it's for sale? :pac:

BER is exempt due to the age of the property and its current commercial usage.