Nash calls on State to purchase Dowth Hall and Estate
1 August 2023
Louth Labour TD, Ged Nash, has written to the Office of Public Works (OPW) recommending that the State purchase Dowth Hall and Netterville Manor and the surrounding estate, which is on the market for €10 million.
Deputy Nash added that this is a rare opportunity for the State to purchase a grand Georgian residence and Victorian Manor in the Boyne Valley on an archaeologically rich and extensive site, and should be seized upon.
Deputy Nash explained: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the State to purchase a site with two historic properties in the heart of the Boyne Valley with views over Newgrange passage tomb and 6,000 years of documented history.
“Currently the site is home of food research company Devenish but has been put on the market after a restructuring of the company. The estate lies in the Brú na Boinne Unesco World Heritage site and comes with fishing rights on the River Boyne and fantastic potential for tourism and local amenity.”
The Louth Labour TD added: “Thanks to the great care shown by the current owners, there is already planning permission in place for four years of refurbishments to Dowth Hall, while Netterville Manor has already undergone a major restoration.
“The lands include about a quarter of this world heritage site and three significant monuments of the fifty or so that can be found around Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.
“There is also an old Norman Tower on the site and a beautiful walled garden, all sitting on a 552-acre site bounded by the river Boyne with the potential to be another jewel in the crown for the Boyne Valley.”
Deputy Nash said: “Newgrange already brings thousands of tourists to the area and this site offers spectacular views of Ireland’s most ancient site, in an area rich in biodiversity.
“It is a golden opportunity for the State to purchase a unique and extensive site and develop it sympathetically to further the tourism offering in the area and provide sustainable local jobs.”
The local Labour TD concluded: “It is a rare opportunity the State should seize upon to create a first-rate tourism destination.
“It’s a site that charts the history of the area from neolithic times to the age of the Victorians and would be an invaluable asset for the State”.
ENDS