One of two Irish homes owned by an Englishman believed to be the world's biggest cocaine trafficker, was sold at a Dublin auction yesterday.
A two-bedroom apartment and two parking spaces in Dublin's Custom House Harbour belonging to fugitive Mickey Greene made €555,000, but a large bungalow on four acres near Kilcock, Co Kildare, was withdrawn at auction at €910,000.
There was a packed Dublin auction room for the two sales, which were ordered by the Criminal Assets Bureau. There were three bidders for the penthouse and it was knocked down within minutes to a UK investor, who plans to rent it.
The sale included the contents of the home - high- quality furniture, a sound system worth €7,600 and a picture with the caption: "Leaders are like eagles, they don't flock. You find them one at a time." The penthouse has been rented since Greene absconded to Spain after he reputedly received threats from the IRA.
There were only two bidders for Maple Falls, a 6,000 sq ft home at Pitchfortstown, Kilcock, which is believed to have been the hub of Greene's drug operations. Although bidding ended at €910,000, auctioneer John Lowe, of Lowe & Associates, said he was hopeful the house would be sold later today for around the guide price of over €1 million.
The five-bedroom property has many expensive trappings including a swimming pool, snooker room, sauna, floodlit tennis court and paddock.
Most of the contents of the house are to be sold separately.
