Mark Zuckerberg appears to have found an update for Meta that is unrelated to chatbots: a Gothic castle structure spanning 440 acres in County Waterford. The Irish Times reports that Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan purchased Strancally Castle.
This restored estate is located on the banks of the Blackwater River and was bought in an off-market deal from Michael and Giancarlo Allen-Buckley. The actual sale price has not yet been reflected in the Irish property price register, which complicates an exact valuation of the billionaire's purchase.
Nevertheless, according to the article, the estate could have been valued between 20 and 30 million euros (equivalent to approximately 377 to 565 million rand), based on its condition and the restoration work carried out over the last two decades.
A representative for Zuckerberg confirmed the purchase in a statement to The Irish Times, noting that 'Mark and his family are delighted to continue caring for this historic home and look forward to time spent in Ireland, where Meta maintains its international headquarters.'
Zuckerberg himself has made no public statements. Strancally Castle is located about a thirty-minute drive from Youghal, in the Blackwater Valley, near Ballinatrigh House, which British inventor James Dyson purchased in 2024 for approximately 29 million euros (about 547 million rand).
The main house was originally built around 1830 for John Kelly, a former Tory Member of Parliament, and designed by James and George Richard Payne, architects associated with Dromoland Castle in Clare, Cork County Gaol, and Blackrock Castle in Cork.
The scale of the castle is quite impressive. The Irish Times cites the book 'Houses of Ireland' by Brian De Breffny and Rosemary Ffolliot, which indicates that the building was constructed so luxuriously that 'it took only a brisk four and a half minutes to walk from the kitchen to the dining room.'
The Allen-Buckley family owned Strancally Castle for 25 years. In their statement to the newspaper, they expressed gratitude for the opportunity to save and restore the house and were pleased that the Zuckerberg family plans to continue investing in the property and grounds.
Meta has had its European headquarters in Ireland since 2009, and The Irish Times reports that the company employs about 1,500 people there. Therefore, Zuckerberg and Chan do not plan to move to Waterford permanently; the report states that they will continue to live in the United States and will use Strancally Castle during their time in Ireland.