Historic holding on market

A REAL bit of history, and a link with a famous Archbishop, comes with the farm house and yard, Deer Park House, just on the Limerick side of Charleville.

Just up for sale, it was the birthplace of Daniel Patrick Mannix, whose parents were wealthy tenant farmers here at 19th century holding, with its strong mix of stone outbuildings.

Mannix, who died in 1964 aged 99 years, had been a President of St Patrick’s Maynooth, and later, became Archbishop of Melbourne in Australia, where he agitated on behalf of Irish Catholics, campaigned for Catholic schools, and denounced World War I.

Although he opposed the Easter Rising, he grew increasingly more Republican and was a friend and contemporary of Eamon de Valera.

Australians touring Ireland still frequently call by Charleville’s Deer Park House to see Archbishop Mannix’s birthplace.

Mallow estate agent Liam Mullins is selling the period farmhouse, possibly even pre-1800s in part, with its associated outbuildings, and it is as solid and adaptable a mix of stone and slate buildings of stature as a buyer might want. It includes 12-arched stables in a long stone building.

It is already getting interest from afar, as well as from near, with some active overseas inquiries.

Deer Park House carries a €350,000 asking price, and is under offer at €320,000. It is for sale on five acres of land, left and right of its main long entrance drive and there’s more land available, negotiable at average agricultural values. The five acres include pasture, yard and outbuildings, and an old orchard. There may be longer-term development potential when the proposed Atlantic Corridor bypasses Charleville, suggests Mr Mullins.