State papers: Robert Mugabe was allowed 'relaxing break' in Tony O'Reilly's mansion

Although Mugabe was hailed as an African liberation hero as a result of his early political career, he was regarded as a brutal dictator by the time of his death in Singapore at the age of 95 in 2019. File photo: AP/STR

Irish businessman Tony O’Reilly allowed the controversial African leader, Robert Mugabe, to stay in his luxury country house in Co. Kildare in 1992 in order to allow the Zimbabwean president to get over the death of his first wife.

Newly-released State papers show the well-known Heinz executive and former owner of Independent Newspapers offered Mugabe the use of his 18th-century mansion in Castlemartin as well as his private jet to allow the president "a relaxing break". 

The papers also reveal the then-President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, offered to host a lunch in Mugabe’s honour while a meeting was also planned with the Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds, during his eight-day trip to Ireland.

Although Mugabe was hailed as an African liberation hero as a result of his early political career, he was regarded as a brutal dictator by the time of his death in Singapore at the age of 95 in 2019, following almost four decades as ruler of Zimbabwe when his term in office was marked by corruption and human rights abuses.

While overseas dignitaries on private visits to the Republic are not typically afforded any State hospitality, files show officials believed there was a case of “something more” for Mugabe as he was “a political figure of international stature….and it would be important to avoid possibly giving offence”. 

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Officials also noted that he had been educated by Irish Jesuit priests and there was a “general interest in good relations” with the Zimbabwean president.

Files show Mugabe knew Mr O’Reilly from the businessman’s regular trips to Zimbabwe and the Irish entrepreneur had suggested the visit to Ireland when they met shortly after the death of Mugabe’s wife.

Mr O’Reilly had also offered Mugabe the use of two five-star hotels in which he had a shareholding at the time, Ashford Castle and Dromoland Castle.