SINGER CHRIS DE Burgh has narrowly edged out well-known businessman Dermot Desmond to be the seller of the most expensive private property in Ireland last year.
Figures published on the Residential Property Price Register show the musician’s large country mansion in Wicklow sold for just under €9.4m in June – the highest price paid for any home in the Republic during 2023.
The eight-bedroom Georgian mansion which also contains an indoor swimming pool, home cinema, games room and panic room had an original asking price of €12.5m when it was first put up for sale in 2019.
The Lady in Red singer had bought the property in 1996 as a family home but he and his wife, Diane, decided it was time to downsize over four years ago as their children had already moved out.
The price obtained by de Burgh eclipsed that secured by high-profile financier Dermot Desmond from the sale of his townhouse in Dublin city by just over €152,000.
The property at 71 Merrion Square, which was once owned by fashion designer, Sybil Connolly, was bought by another well-known businessman, Fergal Naughton, the chairman of Glen Dimplex, for €9,246,550.
Desmond, the largest shareholder in Celtic football club, had carried out major restoration of the Georgian townhouse but had to resort to the courts to secure planning permission to install a dumbwaiter in the building to transport food and drink between various floors.
The most expensive residential property sold in Cork last year was Sprayfield House, the 18th century waterfront Georgian home of former UCC president, Professor Gerry Wrixon at Sandycove, Kinsale.
The property which sold for €3.8m has been linked to US billionaire, James Berwind who was based in Kinsale last summer on his €80 million superyacht, Scout.
The most valuable property sold in Kerry was the former Presentation Convent residence in Killarney at €3m – twice its asking price of €1.5m
In Donegal, the most expensive property sold was a cottage on a large estate at the northern tip of the county which was used as a location in the Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi.
Breasty Bay Cottage located close to Malin Head was sold for €1,670,000.
Another notable property transaction was the sale of a James Bond-style seafront property, as described by its architect, in Meath.
The Beach Haus on Coast Road, Bettystown, which had been on the market for several years sold for €2,925,000, according to the RPPR.
Although the selling price was below its original asking price of €3.5m it was the most expensive residential property sold in Meath during 2023.
A home that featured in the popular RTÉ series, Room to Improve in 2019 in which it was renovated by architect, Dermot Bannon, recorded the highest price fetched for a property in Waterford last year.
Fidaun Cottage located at Doneraile Drive in Tramore, which was originally built in the 1920s, sold for €1,700,000.
A former hotel and wedding venue which more recently was used as a private home was the most expensive property sold in Westmeath.
Middleton Park House in Castletown Geoghegan, Co Westmeath had also featured in a 2020 episode of the RTÉ series, Great House Revival, presented by architect Hugh Wallace.
In early 2023, it was confirmed that the Department of Children and Integration were in discussions with the owners of Middleton Park House to accommodate up to 244 international protection applicants at the country mansion.
However, the Government subsequently announced last summer that it was not going ahead with such plans and the property was placed on the market before subsequently securing a selling price of €1,815,000.
The most valuable property sold in Wexford during 2023 has also been at the centre of rumours over whether it was being earmarked for use as a centre to house asylum seekers.
Slaney Manor located in Barntown outside Wexford was bought in April for €1,625,000 by a company which is involved in the operation of other centres housing international protection applicants.
The 19th century house, which has a restored castle, banqueting hall and 27-bedroom courtyard, was formerly used as a wedding venue.
An analysis of the RPPR indicates the total value of residential sales recorded in the year up to 23 December, 2023 was €23.3bn.
It represented a decrease of almost €342m on sales of residential properties in 2022 – an annual drop of 1.4%.
However, the total value of sales of new houses and apartments was up over €196.5m to €6.1bn, representing annual growth of 3.3%.
In contrast, sales of second-hand properties decreased in value by 3.3% to €17.2bn – approximately €538.5m less than in 2022.
Overall, the total value of residential transactions closed in 2023 compared to the previous year was down in a majority of areas.
Only 10 counties recorded growth in the value of residential property sales last year including Laois where they totalled €344.6m – up 35% year on year.
Single-digit percentage growth in residential property sales was recorded in Westmeath, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Louth, Meath, Galway, Longford, Cork and Kildare.
The value of sales of houses and apartments in Dublin last year was down 3.3% to €10.6bn.
Proportionately, the largest decreases were recorded in Leitrim and Waterford where the value of residential sales were down 16% and 12% respectively.
The single most valuable transaction last year was the €225m spent on an unspecified number of properties at the large-scale residential development at O’Devaney Gardens, Arbour Hill, Dublin 7.
Works on one of the country’s largest housing developments was begun by the developer, Bartra in February which will result in the construction of 1,044 social, affordable, cost rental and private homes on the former flat complex at O’Devaney Gardens.
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