No grounds to rumours of sale, say owners of Longueville House

RUMOURS of a planned sale at one of Munster’s finest country houses, Longueville House on 500 acres near Mallow, have been dismissed by the owners.

The denial of plans to sell part or all of the historic wooded Longueville Estate, which has as its centrepiece an award-winning house, 20-bed hotel and restaurant, came yesterday from chef-proprietor William O’Callaghan, who has run the business since his parents Michael and Jane O’Callaghan retired.

“It is a complete rumour, there are no grounds to it. It is business as usual, we are continuing to take bookings,” he said.

Builders McInerney Construction’s name has been linked in recent weeks as the strong contender for a housing and tourism/country club/golf development at Longueville, three miles from Mallow along the River Blackwater.

A spokesperson for McInerney’s declined to comment on reports of their interest in acquiring Longueville.

McInerney’s are one of the country’s most active building firms, and have previously developed the four-star Faithlegg House Hotel in Waterford around an 18th-century mansion.

Property sources indicate that McInerney’s have advanced plans for investment at Longueville, which has not been officially on the market for sale. Although its lands are not zoned for development, its value could be in the region of €25 million if it were to be acquired for development with tourism potential.

Several other developers also have proposals for Longueville.

Longueville House Hotel, centred around a 1720 Georgian mansion, has been in O’Callaghan family hands since 1938, and was built on lands taken from the O’Callaghan family centuries before by Oliver Cromwell.

Part of its lands are right by the River Blackwater, but are prone to flooding, and some of its extensive woodland is centuries old.

A vineyard has been planted on a portion of the land, and the historic house has a large conservatory built by the Victorian specialist Richard Turner, who has conservatories in Kew Gardens in London and in Glasnevin, Dublin.

At present, Longueville has 20 guest bedrooms. Planning was sought last year to add 60 bedrooms, 21 suites, staff bedrooms and a spa.