Having served as the international headquarters of the Missionary Sisters of St Columban since 1957, the order’s home and lands at Magheramore in Co Wicklow have been placed on the market through agent Bannon at a guide price of €4.5 million.
The “Motherhouse”, as it is referred to by the sisters, sits on 50 acres directly across the road from the entrance to the well-known Magheramore beach and is located within a short drive of Wicklow town, Brittas Bay and junction 18 of the M11 motorway. There are several buildings arranged across two clusters on the site, and these extend to a total area of 7,318 sq m (78,766 sq ft) of accommodation that includes 111 bedrooms.
The buildings include the original Magheramore period house. Built around 1870 and known originally as Seapark House, the property has a large extension that houses the complex’s main bedroom accommodation and a church, built in the 1960s. A nursing home, which operated until last year, has 24 en-suite bedrooms and interconnects with the main building. The Bobbio Centre, which consists of 12 en-suite bedrooms, a five-bedroom cottage and offices, is located in a separate area of the site and there is a gate lodge at the main entrance to the complex.
The original Magheramore House had been in use as a hotel before its acquisition by the Missionary Sisters in 1957. That may yet inform the plans of a future owner given the property’s location across from Magheramore beach. The 21-acre site immediately adjacent to the beach had been the subject in 2023 by its then owner, Paddy McKillen jnr and Matt Ryan’s company, Creatively Pacific, of a planning application for a boutique holiday resort and surf school. The plan, which was rejected by Wicklow County Council, attracted local opposition, with Sr Kathleen Melia of the Missionary Sisters of St Columban describing the “grandiose plan” as “the height of folly”.
Commenting on the sale of the Magheramore complex, Paul Doyle of Bannon says: “This property, set in the most tranquil environment, has served the Missionary Sisters of St Columban well for several decades. The opportunity now presents for a new owner to maximise its potential most likely by repurposing the existing buildings. Potential future uses may vary, dependent on the buyer, and may include an element of residential, education, care/rehabilitation, tourism/hotel and a range of hospitality uses such as a wedding venue, all subject to planning permission.”