Agri society may bid for Gilligan’s old horse centre

The Munster Agricultural Society yesterday visited the Olympic-sized equestrian centre that belonged to one of Ireland’s most notorious criminals amid speculation it may bid for the property.

Several society directors toured the Jessbrook Equestrian Centre in Co Kildare — formerly owned by convicted drug trafficker John Gilligan — as part of a fact-finding trip.

MAS spokeswoman Trisha Tyson said Jessbrook is one of several such facilities around the country which they have visited in recent months as they prepare plans to develop their own equestrian and events centre at the MAS headquarters in Curraheen, on the western outskirts of Cork City.

“We are really keen to move forward on this project. We’ll have one crack at this and we want to get it right,” she said.

However, talk of MAS bidding for Jessbrook — once the largest indoor equestrian centre in Ireland — and relocating its facilities to Cork is premature, she said.

“It is one of the options on the table but we are certainly not putting our hands in our pockets in the next few weeks. Nothing will happen without the full agreement of the society.”

Complex planning issues will also have to be factored in to this option.

Ms Tyson said they plan to discuss the Jessbrook visit with other society members next week before deciding the next course of action.

Gilligan spent €2m buying and developing Jessbrook in 1995 and 1996 before he was jailed for drug trafficking.

The complex was at the centre of his attempts to launder more than €20m he made from drug-dealing in less than three years, and to portray himself as a legitimate businessman involved in equestrian sport.

The facility was seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) 17 years ago.

Following a 16-year legal battle between the CAB and lawyers for Gilligan’s wife Geraldine, the bureau was finally given the go-ahead by the Supreme Court last November to dispose of the property.

It was handed over to Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin and passed on to the Office of Public Works (OPW) to finalise the appointment of an auctioneer.

REA McDonald Lowe and Associates advertised the property for sale last month — once valued at over €5m, it is expected to be sold for over €500,000.

The property is being sold by private treaty by the OPW in three lots — two are land parcels of nine and 21 acres.

The third lot includes 50 acres along with the 5,600sq/m arena with seating for 3,200 people, two stable blocks for 48 horses, an outdoor arena, administration building, and a commentary box.