Having acquired Killeen Castle in 1997, developer Joe O’Reilly’s company, Castlethorn Construction, has, over the years, transformed the historic Meath estate into an exclusive golf destination with an 18-hole championship course designed by Jack Nicklaus as its centrepiece.
Now 27 years on and with much work done and much more left to do to fulfil his overall vision for the 12th century Norman castle and its 226-hectare (560-acre) expanse, O’Reilly has decided to seek out a strategic investment partner.
With that in mind, the developer is inviting proposals through agent CBRE from experienced hotel, leisure and golf investors interested in delivering on the multi-phased and sensitive refurbishment and redevelopment of the castle as a hotel to complement the estate’s existing championship golf course, ancillary facilities, lodges, luxury residences and events venue.
While a guide price has not been set, Paul Collins, executive director and CBRE’s head of hotels for Ireland, expects offers for the entire estate to range between €25 million and €30 million. Interested parties may alternatively submit their proposals for individual elements of the Meath resort.
Located in a historic woodland park setting in the heart of Ireland’s ‘Royal County’, Killeen Castle Resort’s original castle residence and golf course are complemented by a wide range of facilities. These include an extensive golf clubhouse of 2,790 sq m (30,000 sq ft), a newly installed driving range, the purpose-built Pavilion events venue which caters for weddings, conferences and golf groups.
The wider estate has seen significant investment in recent years with the addition of high-end luxury residential houses, extensive restoration work to the castle, garden and ground upgrades, and the development in 2023 of six self-catering lodges with 24 bedrooms. There is full planning permission for a further 16 lodges (to provide 64 bedrooms) adjacent to the existing six lodges.
To date, 67 residences have been either sold or sale agreed at Killeen Castle Resort, while seven more are currently for sale. A further 88 sites distributed across the resort are available to purchase also.
Quite apart from the above, there is extensive planning precedent according to the selling agent for a prospective investor to pursue the development of additional guest accommodation within the grounds of the estate. In this regard, CBRE points to previously granted planning permissions for a hotel with up to 250 bedrooms and a hotel village comprising 46 lodges immediately adjacent to the hotel.
The golf course at Killeen Castle is a Jack Nicklaus signature course, one of only two in Ireland. Constructed in 2008, the course measures over 7,700 yards from the back tees, making it one of the longest in the country.
Killeen has hosted major events such as the Ladies Irish Open 2010-2012 and the 2011 Solheim Cup. It has also been voted the Best Parkland Course in the Greater Dublin Area numerous times.
Paul Collins of CBRE says: “Killeen Castle presents an exceptional opportunity to invest in one of the most prestigious luxury resorts in Ireland. Its strategic location close to Dublin, state-of-the-art facilities and championship golf course offer a unique investment with significant growth potential and expansion plans. Killeen Castle presents an excellent opportunity for an investor to become a strategic partner to one of Ireland’s rare historic castles.”
