Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta, and his wife Priscilla Chan have purchased Strancally Castle, a gothic-style mansion built in 1830, along with its 178-hectare (440-acre) estate in County Waterford, Ireland. The property will serve as a base for the family during visits to Ireland, where Meta maintains its international headquarters.
Purchase price and property details
The price paid in the off-market deal has not been disclosed, but the Irish Times, which first reported the sale, estimated a value between €20m (£17m) and €30m. That sum is approximately 10% of the cost of Zuckerberg's 387ft superyacht. The castle was built for John Keily, a former Conservative MP, and designed by architects James and George Richard Pain. According to the book The Houses of Ireland, a "brisk walk of four and a half minutes" was needed to travel from the dining room to the kitchen.
Michael Alen-Buckley, a co-founder of the London-based investment firm RAB Capital, and his wife Giancarla, a scion of the family behind the Rocco Forte Hotels group, bought the estate and renovated it in the early 2000s. They owned the property for 25 years before selling it to Zuckerberg.
Statements from the parties involved
"Mark and his family are excited to continue caring for this historic home and look forward to spending time in Ireland, where Meta maintains its international headquarters," a spokesperson for Zuckerberg said on Thursday. The previous owners, Michael Alen-Buckley and Giancarla, said in a statement: "We leave our home of 25 years fondly and are grateful for the opportunity we have been given to save and restore Strancally castle. We are delighted that Mark and his family intend to build on our stewardship by continuing to invest in maintaining and enhancing the property and grounds as their home in a sustainable manner. We wish them and their family much happiness in this unique and blessed place."
Architectural significance and regional context
The website of the National Built Heritage Service, an Irish state agency that protects architectural heritage, offers a mixed assessment of the castle. "The construction in sandstone and limestone ashlar augments the dour tone of the composition while providing evidence of high quality stone masonry and craftsmanship," it states. The Blackwater valley contains other historic estates, including Ballynatray House, which entrepreneur James Dyson bought in 2024. Further north, John Collison, a co-founder of the technology platform Stripe, purchased Abbey Leix, an estate in County Laois, in 2021.
