Dream a little dream - the most expensive castles for sale in Ireland (PHOTOS)

There’s something irresistibly romantic about a castle in the middle of the Irish countryside and you’re in luck! You can nab yourself your very own castle (or at least large historic estate) for the small sum of just $12 million.

Well we can dream right?!

This time last year our story “Ireland’s most expensive properties - your dream castle or mansion” was one of the most popular and our readers just can’t get enough of our travel guide “The must-see castles of Ireland,” so we decided to give our readers what they want….properties that almost no one could possibly afford but man, are they gorgeous.

Inniscorrig

Where? Dalkey, County Dublin

How much? $11.7 million

What? Detached house, six bedrooms, four bathrooms

Why’s it unique? Victorian waterfront mansion, 10 miles from Dublin city

Features?

- Inniscorrig was built circa 1847 by the renowned Dublin physician Sir Dominic Corrigan, who first diagnosed the heart condition now known as Corrigan's Pulse. He built Inniscorrig as a summer retreat. Prominent guests included Kings Edward VII and George V of England.

- Accommodation extends to some 536 square metres / 5773 square feet, including a lodge house.

- Grounds comprise approximately 0.3 hectare / 0.75 acre (0.4 hectare / 0.8 acres to shoreline).

- Includes its own private harbour, one of only two in county.

- Panoramic coastal views stretch from Dun Laoghaire over the bay to Howth peninsula, taking in the rocky sea shore and Dalkey Island and The Muglins.

- Italianate gardens provide a seamlessly link the house and grounds, arched granite statue niches either side of the front door wonderfully combining with a series of Gothic arches.

- Large decked terrace off the sea-front elevation leads to a lawn terrace and to the harbour terrace.

- Boat house suits as an occasional or party bar and a bathing hut is fitted with W/C and a shower.

Read more here.

The Marlfield Estate

Where? Marlfield, Clonmel, County Tipperary

How much? $8.9 million

What? Detached 12-bedroom house, with 14 bathrooms

Why’s it unique? Georgian mansion on farming estate with planning permission for a hotel, 70 homes and a golf course designed by Padraig Harrington.

Features?

- Overall floor area of 1,450 square meters (15,608 square feet)

- Period home overlooking the river Suir with superb reception rooms featuring high ceilings, decorative plasterwork, carved architraves, Adams-style fireplaces and a Richard Turner conservatory.

- Land is noted for its large tillage fields covering about 194 acres and another 159 acres in grasslands.

- Estate located 1.8 miles from Clonmel, which has a population of close to 16,000.

Read more here.

The Lisselan Estate

Where? Clonakilty, County Cork

How much? $7.76 million

What? Detached eight bedroom house

Why’s it unique? “French Chateau" style country estate set on the banks of the Argideen River including golf club

Features?

- Overall floor area 1,000 square meters (10,764 square feet)

- Built in a simplified French Chateau style between 1851 and 1853 by William Bence-Jones to a design by Lewis Vulliamy.

- The Henry Ford Ancestral Site is located on part of the Lisselan Estate. Henry Ford, son of William Ford was born in America on July 30th, 1863. Henry's father William Ford, along with his grandfather John Ford, were born in Ireland. John Ford was a tenant farmer within the Lisselan Estate farming 30 acres of land. In 1847 when the Great Famine hit Ireland John Ford left with his family and headed for the United States of America.

- Lisselan Gardens were laid out in Robinsonian style from the early 1850s.

- The Lisselan Estate holds some of the best private stretches of the River Argideen for salmon and sea trout fishing.

- Lisselan Golf Club is one of the most challenging and picturesque of Irish golf courses to be played. The parkland course is a nine hole golf course set on 80 acres surrounded by mature woodlands and with the Argideen River flowing through.

Read more here.

Glin Castle

Where? Glin, County Limerick

How much? $7.2 million

What? Detached house with more than 15 bedrooms

Why’s it unique?

Features?

- Overall floor area 1,908.9 square meters (20,547 square feet)

- Castellated mansion in a setting of some 380 acres of mature parkland overlooking the Shannon estuary, on the periphery of attractive Glin village and less than 1 hour's drive of Limerick city centre and Shannon International airport.

- Glin Castle has been in the FitzGerald family, hereditary Knights of Glin, for over 700 years. The romantic and fairytale title of the Knight of Glin dates back to the early 13th Century. The title is an anomaly, akin to Irish chieftainships, and illustrates the Gaelicization of a powerful Norman family.

- The castle has superb interiors with decorative plasterwork and notable collections of Irish furniture and paintings.

Read more here.

Borleagh Manor

Where? Gorey, Inch, County Wexford

How much? $5.3 million

What? Detached house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms

Why’s it unique? Located on own gated parkland with two guest houses on the grounds.

Features?

- Overall floor area 915 square meters (9,849 square feet)

- Approached through pillared gates via a long (1km) avenue of beech trees and post and railed parkland, the house faces east with fine views over its own park, with glimpses of the sea in the distance and impressive views of Croghan Mountain to the north.

- House includes a reception hall, drawing room, dining room, kitchen, family area, library room, sun room, three large double bedrooms, the master suite, a games room, wine cellar, billiard room, office, study, laundry, stores and boot room.

- A recently constructed thatched guest cottage (approx. 146sq.m/1,572 sq.ft) is set a short distance from the main house and overlooking the lake. This property includes a spacious fitted kitchen, utility room, living area, two bedrooms and French doors opening to a large and spacious terrace overlooking the paddocks facing the lake.

- The Gardener’s Cottage is overlooking the walled garden and paddocks. The totally restored cottage (approx. 74 sq.m/800sq.ft) also includes two bedrooms, a kitchen/dining/living room with French doors on to a self-contained garden.

- Outdoors on the property the stables and coach house (including extensive buildings) and a man-made brown trout lake also ideal for swimming and boating.

Read more here.