Conor Pass owner would prefer Government to buy iconic site

Owner, Mike Noonan, said Conor Pass is full of amenities including trails and a diverse ecological system, including a salmon stream which contains old mussels. 

The owner of Conor Pass has said he would prefer the Government to buy the iconic site despite receiving offers “all the time”.

Mike Noonan, a Chicago native, whose grandparents hailed from Galbally in Limerick said the €10m asking price is "not too great" when a 33% capital gains tax is taken into account.

"When you look at their budgets and everything else, it's nothing," he said.

He said the move to transform the site into a National Park would boost tourism while providing countless educational opportunities due to the rich heritage on the site.

Mr Noonan said he has received a “serious offer” for the land, with major interest from potential buyers in Ireland, however, he reiterated that he would not sell the land if it was to be split up.

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“Most of it has been in Ireland and we have a good offer from somebody in Ireland that works in the environmental ecosystem, but I’d like to see the Government get a hold of it, that’s really my mission,” he said.

Mr Noonan said his team have “made contact with them and they've reached back to us and said they'd send it down the string, but there has been no direct contact with the Taoiseach.” 

Last week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government , but will not pay the €10m asking price.

Mr Noonan said: “If he takes his 33% tax off he’s still getting a really good deal,” before adding: “As far as their seriousness and stuff, they're gonna have to determine that.” 

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He said he was glad to see online petitions for the State to purchase the site but added that it was “too bad” the Government have not given an offer “right off the hand”. One petition has since reached over 9,000 signatures.

Mr Noonan said “holy hell broke loose on the internet” after he erected two banners near the site which advertised the sale. He said the site is full of amenities including trails and a diverse ecological system, including a salmon stream which contains old mussels. 

“There’s just so much they could use as an educational tool for the public and as a National Park, they can show the diversity of land that hasn't really been touched,” he said.

He said there are arrows which date back some 2,000 years and are protected in a bog which has never been drained. “There's a lot of interesting things on the farm,” he said.