Glengarriff Castle for sale for £2.4m: Watchmen actor Jeremy Irons is among near neighbours of majestic Irish castle

A majestic Irish castle that has hosted nobility, royalty, writers and artists is on the market for £2.4 million.

Fronting one of Ireland’s loveliest shorelines, Glengarriff Castle in County Cork also boasts Watchmen actor Jeremy Irons as a near neighbour.

Surrounded by 87 acres of woodlands and parklands, the castle is partially restored and comes with full planning permission for further work.

Famous writers who have stayed within its walls include John Millington Synge and William Butler Yeats.

The grounds are so inspiring that George Bernard Shaw is said to have written his play Saint Joan there. Vanity Fair author William Makepeace Thackeray wrote of the setting: “There is a country, the magnificence of which no pen can give an idea. I would like to be a great Prince, and bring a train of painters to make, if they could… a set of pictures of the place.”

Built in the 1790's by Colonel Simon White, brother of the first Earl of Bantry whose descendants still live in nearby Bantry House, the property has an illustrious history. As the fortunes of the White family flourished, an earlier cottage hunting lodge was replaced by the Gothic-style castle.

It was later run as a hotel until 1975 before a German buyer purchased it and lived there with his family. A local consortium then bought Glengarriff, selling to the present owner six years ago.

Now it’s time for the next chapter in the story of this magical castle. It is on Christie’s International Real Estate’s books.