Killarney golf course on market for €750,000

Expected to sell in two lots is a Killarney golf course with a 20-year pedigree, overlooking 200 year old trees, a 15th century castle - and the four-story shell of an uncompleted 120-bed hotel and lodges project.

The package, with abandoned hotel hopes, and various permissions for a holiday development and golf academy is on 149 acres, with a further c 82 acres of farm-land, on the side of the MacGillycuddy Reeks. As an entire of 235 acres, it’s guided at €2m, on behalf of a receiver.

It last changed hands about a decade ago, to local development company Galvins, who drafted ambitious multi-million euro plans for it, to include a golf academy, 70 golf lodges, 20 suites and 12-bed hotel with leisure facilities.

Being marketed this week is the parkland Beaufort Golf Course, along with good land, in four divisions guided at €750,000, or €9,000 an acre, seven miles from Killarney: it has been billed as the hidden gem or secret golf course of the south-west, with captivating Reeks views.

The original golf course opened in 1995 to a design by Dr Arthur Spring, since adapted by another designer Tom McKenzie, and it’s a 7,000 yard 18-hole par 71 course, which is GUI affiliated. It circles Churchtown House, which is not included in the sale, and which is still lived in by the Magill family who sold the privately-owned golf course to the Galvin company in the mid 2000s.

Planning for the 120-bed hotel and 20 suites has now lapsed, and is part-built with four storey shell and roof in place. Also planned were 20 detached two storey golf lodges, and two courtyard developments, each of 25 units, plus nine-hole golf academy course, but no construction was undertaken on the latter elements.

Joint selling agents are Chris O’Callaghan of Savills Cork, and Tom Spillane in Killarney, acting for receiver Gearóid Costelloe of Grant Thornton. Lot 1 is 82.45 acres guiding excess of €750,000, or just under the Kerry land average of €9,500 an acre: “Land in Beaufort carries a premium. It’s some of the best land in Kerry and there’ll be keen interest in this,” says Mr Spillane.

Savills’ Mr O’Callaghan says they expect international interest in the golf option, and it’s accessible from Killarney, Tralee and is 18kms from the airport at Farranfore.

The last golf course sold in Killarney was back in 2012, when major local employer crane manufacturer Liebherr bought the third Killarney Golf and Fishing course at Lackabane, for c €6m and leased it back to its members.

Details: Savills 021-4271371, Tom Spillane & Co 064-6633066