PICS: Five-star Castlemartyr Resort for sale for €13m

A five-star hotel, opened by then-taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2008, which was developed at a cost of €70m, is now priced for sale at €13m.

The high-end Castlemartyr Resort in East Cork, on 220 acres with golf course and 19 lodges, finally goes to the open market this week, listed with Tom Barrett of Savills, who predicted international interest given its quality and luxury elements.

Conceived of back in boom times, developed in a ‘cost is no object’ manner and centred around a 13th century castle and one-time school/manor house by a lake with swans, the resort hotel opened with fanfare in February 2008, but shut nine month later, laden with enormous debt, as the global economic clouds multiplied.