Haughey's luxury home sold off

Former Taoiseach Charlie Haughey has sold his luxury mansion home on the north side of Dublin to a property development company.

Mr Haughey, 77, whose health has been causing concern for most of this year, has lived in Abbeyville House, Kinsealy, Co Dublin, for more than 30 years.

The property company Manor Park Homes confirmed the purchase tonight – but the price of the deal was not disclosed.

The property is regarded, however, as one of the most prime building sites in Dublin.

As well as the house, there are 235 surrounding acres, though it is not believed that all of the land was previously owned by the now-retired politician.

It is understood that the terms of the contract will not permit the three-times ex-Taoiseach to stay in the house until his death.

Earlier this year, Mr Haughey agreed to pay €5m to the Revenue Commissioners to settle outstanding tax liabilities.

The settlement was comprised of debts on gift tax, as well as interest and penalties, and followed what Ireland’s tax authorities – the Revenue Commissioners – called “long and complex negotiations” between them and Mr Haughey’s professional advisors.

The payment marked Mr Haughey’s second substantial tax settlement in a little under three years.

In April, 2000, he handed over almost €1.28m, including interest adding up to €637,000 in respect of an interim settlement relating to tax on a payment he received in the 1980s from millionaire stores chain owner Ben Dunne.

Mr Haughey admitted receiving the money from the businessman at a tribunal of inquiry into payments made to Irish politicians after initially denying he got the cash.

A subsequent tribunal indicated Mr Haughey, who is now understood to be suffering from prostate cancer, had received other gifts, amounting to millions of euros.

There was no comment on the sale of his home from Mr Haughey, who stepped down as head of government in Dublin 1992, ending one of the most controversial careers in Irish political history, which included an acquittal on arms import conspiracy charges after a Dublin courtroom trial in 1970.

The company now in possession of his property is 51% owned by businessman Joe Moran, with the remaining 49% held by DCC, a business support services group listed on the stock exchange.

Though the price of the deal was undisclosed, 10 acres in the same area sold three years ago for €7.6m.