Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla buy 200-year-old Irish castle near Blackwater River; this 440-acre estate is so huge, it takes 5 minutes to walk from kitchen to the dining room

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have purchased Strancally Castle, a 200-year-old Gothic estate in County Waterford, Ireland, with the property's value estimated at between €20 million and €30 million, according to The Irish Times.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed the purchase with Reuters, saying Zuckerberg and his family are excited to continue caring for the historic home and look forward to spending time in Ireland, where Meta maintains its international headquarters.

What is Strancally Castle?


Strancally Castle was built around 1830 for John Keily, a former Conservative MP, and designed by architects James and George Richard Pain. It sits on a 440-acre estate overlooking the River Blackwater in County Waterford, roughly 200 kilometres from Meta's European headquarters in Dublin.

The castle's scale is striking even by the standards of Irish country estates. According to the book The Houses of Ireland, the property was so large that it reportedly once took nearly 5 minutes to walk from the dining room to the kitchen.


The National Built Heritage Service, an Irish state agency, describes the castle as featuring sandstone and limestone construction and highlights its stonework and craftsmanship as architecturally significant.

How did Strancally Castle reach Zuckerberg?

The property was purchased and extensively renovated in the early 2000s by Michael Alen-Buckley, co-founder of investment firm RAB Capital, and his wife Giancarla. The couple said they were pleased that Zuckerberg and his family planned to continue maintaining the property.

The transaction is not listed on the Irish state property price register. The Irish Times, which first reported the purchase, estimated the value at between €20 million and €30 million. Separate reports have placed the figure at approximately $35 million.

Why did Zuckerberg buy a castle in Ireland?

The purchase has a practical dimension beyond the property itself. Meta employs around 1,500 people in Ireland and maintains its international headquarters there, making the country a regular destination for Zuckerberg. The castle is expected to serve as a base for the couple during visits.

Ireland has long been a favoured location for US tech multinationals, in part because of the country's corporate tax regime. Companies including Apple, Google, and Meta have all established significant European operations there.

Other billionaires buying Irish estates

Zuckerberg is not the only wealthy figure to have acquired a significant Irish property in recent years. Entrepreneur James Dyson bought Ballynatray House in 2024, also in the Blackwater Valley area. Stripe co-founder John Collison purchased Abbey Leix in County Laois in 2021.

The Blackwater Valley, where Strancally Castle sits, is known for its concentration of historic estates and has increasingly attracted interest from high-net-worth buyers looking for large landholdings with architectural heritage.

(With agency inputs)