Michael Flatley has put his stunning Castlehyde estate on the market. Remembered for his world-famous Riverdance performances, the Chicago-born dancer has decided to offer his 150-acre estate for sale, which features the beautifully restored Palladian 18th century Castlehyde mansion.

Castlehyde was once the ancestral home to the Hyde family, the most prominent member being Douglas Hyde, first president of Ireland. The setting of this North Cork estate is mouth-watering, with expansive south-facing panoramic views that sweep along the banks of the renowned Blackwater River.

Looking back, the restoration of Castlehyde proved a lengthy labour of love for Michael which, on occasions, brought many challenges. He bought the property back in 1999, a time when Castlehyde was in a state of poor repair. Staying resilient the whole way through, Michael went about bringing the mansion and its surrounds back to its former glory and undertook an extremely ambitious restoration project.

Project

This project took four years to complete, with attention to detail paramount. Today, this transformation has made Castlehyde one of the finest in the country, incorporating 150 acres of woodland, grazing ground and gardens.

Approached through eye-catching stone piers, the entrance sweeps through much of its own woodland, which opens out into sprawling landscaped gardens that capture the fabulous views of the Blackwater River. Built in the 1760s, the house has undergone a meticulous restoration project that allows almost every reception room and bedroom in the house to have extensive views of the river. It’s suggested the restoration cost was well in excess of €20 million and that excludes furnishings.

accommodation

The accommodation is vast. Today, Castlehyde incorporates a private cinema, a banqueting hall, a bar, wine cellar, swimming pool, music room and a whiskey room.

To add to all this, there are a number of spacious reception rooms, a formal dining room, eight luxury bedrooms with ensuites, and an extensive library. There is also a three bedroom gate lodge at the entrance.

Standing on 150 acres, the majority of the land is in mature woodland with only 30 acres in pasture. With fishing rights along the Blackwater, the estate offers a wonderful sporting element to prospective buyers as well as tremendous scope for entertaining and banqueting.

Guide price

Goffs Country, Kill, Co Kildare, is handling the sale by private treaty. Carefully nurtured by Michael for the past 16 years, Castlehyde is a special property that is expected to generate interest from a broad spectrum of buyers. It comes to the market with a price region of €20m.