5 bedroom detached house

Exceptional residential and equestrian estate with a fine period house and productive farmland

Gowran Castle is a highly attractive and peacefully situated residential and equestrian estate, extending to about 67.8 acres (27.5 hectares) in total. At its heart lies a superb, modernised country house dating from circa 1818 which has been meticulously refurbished with beautifully proportioned and well-balanced accommodation.

Complementing the main house is a traditionally constructed gate lodge, refurbished in recent years. Additionally, there is a three-bedroom apartment for guests or staff situated within the American barn. The mature grounds encompassing the house are a key feature, providing privacy and a scenic rural backdrop with an abundance of amenity.

The agricultural aspect of the estate features excellent grassland. The land is divided into a number of good-sized paddocks enclosed by stud railing. The estate benefits from road frontage and internal roads, ensuring excellent accessibility throughout. Gowran Castle is particularly notable for its equestrian facilities, including a magnificent American barn with 10 loose boxes, veterinary practice, two 6-horse walkers, ancillary stores, and turnout paddocks.

Gowran Castle offers the extremely rare opportunity to acquire a unique blend of high-quality assets in an extremely accessible location.

Location

Gowran Castle is nestled in the village of Gowran, south-east Kilkenny close to junction 7 of the M9 motorway. Located off the main street of the village, down a sweeping driveway, Gowran Castle is afforded peace and privacy, within a mature setting.

The charming village is a short walk and has a range of shops and services for everyday requirements including a health centre, pubs, church and a number of excellent cafes. Gowran Castle overlooks the magnificent Gowran Park Golf Course and horse racing track. Bennetsbridge is 10km from Gowran Castle and Goresbridge international horse sales venue is just 6km away.

The nearby city of Kilkenny (14km) offers a comprehensive range of services and amenities. Built on the river Nore, Kilkenny is the heart of Ireland's Ancient East. The medieval city offers an abundance of restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, gyms, golf courses, tennis club, swimming pools, professional services and a variety of boutiques and retail stores. Kilkenny Castle is situated in the centre of the city, offering a formal terraced rose garden and parklands open to the public. Kilkenny City is extremely popular amongst tourists due to its rich culture of the arts, music and lifestyle with a broad variety of national attractions, festivals, food and crafts available.

Mount Juliet Estate and Golf Club is only 20 kilometres distant and is a spectacular venue to enjoy afternoon tea, have a walk around its 1500 acres of parkland or dine at one of the many restaurants including the Michelin star, Lady Helen restaurant. For keen golfers, Mount Juliet's Championship Golf Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is one of the finest courses in the country and is host to the 2022 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open for the second consecutive year.

County Kilkenny has a proud sporting history and offers a wide variety of sporting and recreational activities. Racing enthusiasts are well catered for with Gowran Park Racecourse 500 metres from the property, Clonmel Racecourse (60km) and The Curragh Racecourse within close proximity. Gowran Park is renowned as one of the most scenic racecourses in the country. It is best known for staging the historic Thyestes Handicap Chase which takes place in mid- January each year. Run over 3 miles it is seen as the Grand National of the South East, and a trial for the Grand Nationals at Fairyhouse and Aintree.

The property sits in a prime location with excellent transport links nearby including the M9 (which connects Kilkenny to Dublin) just 7 kilometres distant. A local bus service running twice daily adjoins Gowran village to Kilkenny City. There are regular bus services from Gowran to Dublin Airport, and train services from Kilkenny and Bagnelstown (10km) to Dublin also.

Gowran National School is 1km from the property while a further selection of primary and secondary schools are located in Kilkenny City.