Zuckerberg buys historic 440-acre castle estate in Ireland

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have purchased the historic Strancally Castle and its surrounding 440-acre estate in County Waterford, Ireland, for use as a family retreat during their visits to the country.

The 19th-century Gothic-style property sits in Ireland's scenic Blackwater Valley, where Meta also maintains its international headquarters.

The sale price has not been officially disclosed. The Irish Times estimates the estate could be worth between €20 million and €30 million—roughly 10 percent of the reported value of Zuckerberg's 387-foot superyacht.

Strancally Castle was built in 1830 for former Conservative MP John Keily and was designed by architects James and George Richard Pain. The sprawling property is so extensive that it reportedly takes around four and a half minutes to walk quickly from the dining room to the kitchen.

A spokesperson for Zuckerberg said Thursday that Zuckerberg and his family were pleased to continue caring for the historic property and were looking forward to spending time in Ireland.

The estate was acquired in the early 2000s by Michael Allen-Buckley, co-founder of London-based investment firm RAB Capital, and his wife, Giancarla. The couple undertook extensive restoration work during their 25-year ownership before recently selling the property to the Zuckerberg family.

The former owners said they were grateful for the opportunity to protect and restore Strancally Castle and expressed hope that its new owners would continue to develop and maintain the estate sustainably.

According to Ireland’s National Built Heritage Service, the castle is notable for its high-quality architecture and finely crafted stonework.

The Blackwater Valley has attracted several high-profile entrepreneurs in recent years. Dyson founder James Dyson bought Ballinatre House in 2024, while Stripe co-founder John Collison acquired the Abbeyleix Estate in County Laois in 2021.