Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have acquired Strancally Castle, a 19th-century Gothic-style castle situated on a 440-acre riverfront property in County Waterford, Ireland. A spokesman for Zuckerberg confirmed the purchase.
The property, which includes a 16,000-square-foot, three-story cut-stone tower overlooking the River Blackwater, was reportedly purchased from the family of financier Michael Alen-Buckley in recent weeks. The Irish Times, which first reported the transaction, estimates its value between $23 million and $35 million, although the sale was not publicly listed.
Zuckerberg and Chan, who are expected to continue residing in the U.S., plan to use the castle for visits to Ireland, where Meta operates its international headquarters in Dublin and employs approximately 1,500 people. The company also maintains a data center outside the city. The castle is located about 125 miles from Dublin.
Strancally Castle was designed by architects James and George Richard Pain around 1830 for John Keily, a former English Tory politician. Historical accounts describe the property as lavish. One 19th-century writer, William Howitt, alluded to a potentially grim history associated with the castle, referencing medieval fortresses used by the Earls of Desmond.
The Alen-Buckley family had undertaken extensive renovations on the castle over the past 25 years. The property is located near other significant estates, including Ballynatray House, which was purchased by British businessman James Dyson in 2024 for approximately $34 million.