Historic Westmeath property up for sale

 One of Westmeath's most famous 'Big Houses', Middleton Park in Castletown Geoghegan, is up for sale at €1.3m.

The 15 bedroom Georgian mansion was designed by renowned English architect George Papworth and built in the 1850s. The former seat of the Boyd-Rochforts, it is set in 19.6 acres of gardens and wood, with a front avenue three quarters of a mile in length.

One of its former inhabitants, George Arthur Boyd-Rochfort, won a Victoria Cross for bravery fighting for the British Empire in World War 1, while his brother Sir Cecil Boyd-Rochfort was the British royal family's horse trainer for almost half a century.

In the 1980s, the property sprang to international prominence when its then owner, professional gambler Barney Curley, put it up as a prize in a raffle.

Television crews from the BBC and ITV descended on Castletown-Geoghegan for the raffle, which was carried out by sports broadcaster Micheál O'Hehir and reportedly netted Curley more than £1m.

In recent years, the property became one of the most popular wedding venues in the midlands.

The present owners purchased Middleton Park in 2004 and carried out an extensive restoration and conservation programme to restore the property to its former glory, as well as incorporating modern comforts such as underground heating.