Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have reportedly completed the purchase of Strancally Castle in Knockanore, County Waterford, Ireland, for an estimated 20 to 30 million euros. The gothic castle, situated on a 440-acre estate along the Blackwater River, was built in the late 1820s on the site of a 12th-century Norman castle.
The property underwent an extensive two-decade renovation by its previous owners, Michael and Giancarla Alen-Buckley, who acquired it around 2000. The restoration included the addition of a marble staircase and a sophisticated underground swimming pool. This pool, engineered by a Co. Cork-based firm, features a rising floor that can transform into a terrace and is complemented by spa, gym, and lounge spaces.
Zuckerberg, listed as the seventh-richest person in the world by Forbes with a net worth of approximately 162 billion euros, is expected to use the castle as a secondary residence, continuing to live primarily in the United States. Meta's European headquarters are located in Dublin, approximately a three-hour drive from the estate.
The castle's history includes a notable anecdote from author William Howitt's 1894 book, which described a 'murder hole' leading to a cave over the Blackwater River. According to Howitt, unwary individuals were tied and dropped through this hole into the river, where their screams were heard as they were swept away. The castle was originally designed by architects James and George Richard Pain for John Kiely, a Tory MP and High Sheriff of Co. Waterford.
Strancally Castle changed ownership several times after the 1850s, remaining in the Lloyd family for a significant period before the Alen-Buckleys' acquisition and subsequent renovation.