Ireland to sell embassy in Washington DC following 'comprehensive analysis'

Recent tender requests published late last week detail that the Department of Foreign Affairs is seeking real estate agents to sell off two buildings that house the current Washington DC embassy. Picture: Wikipedia

The Government has launched plans to sell off its embassy in Washington DC, with the Department of Foreign Affairs seeking American real estate agents to dispose of the property.

There are plans in train to move from the current Irish embassy, located on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington DC, to a new location elsewhere in the US capital.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it is planning to move from the existing embassy to a new rented premises on Pennsylvania Avenue. However, this is not scheduled to happen until at least September 2025.

Recent tender requests published late last week detail that the Department of Foreign Affairs is seeking real estate agents to sell off two buildings that house the current Washington DC embassy.

The tender itself does not detail the estimated fee to be provided to the real estate agent, with no details on the estimated sale price of the Irish embassy.

The department has requested that any agent working on behalf of the Government must provide weekly updates on potential buyers.

'Market valuation'

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said that the Government opted to sell off the embassy after a “comprehensive analysis” that found there was a case to proceed with the sale.

The spokesperson said that there was a “comprehensive market valuation” of the two properties carried out, but did not provide an estimated sale price.

“The total fee payable to the successful tenderer will be determined by the final sale prices of the properties,” the spokesperson said.

The Irish State has owned the Chancery Building since 1949. It acts as the working office for diplomatic staff and the Irish ambassador to the US, Geraldine Byrne Nason.

The move to sell off the property comes a year on from plans being announced for the sale of the Irish ambassador’s residence in Washington DC. It was put on the market for €3.7m in September 2023.

The new residence for the Irish ambassador was purchased last December at a cost of €11m, with it being a nine-bedroom mansion located on 30th St in the US capital.

The Government had initially been renting the property in advance of the purchase, but the Department of Foreign Affairs said that it was bought at a “significantly lower” price compared to an $18.5m asking price.

In recent years, the Government has moved to a model of "Ireland Houses", where State agencies are co-located with embassies across the world.