New Forest Estate sold

CBRE Hotels today confirmed that the New Forest Estate and Golf Course which, on the instructions of the receiver, Padraic Monaghan, went on the market earlier this year, has now been sold.

The purchasers are Cunningham Properties, who are originally from County Galway and who have several other businesses in Galway, Dublin and the UK.

John Cunningham, who lives close to New Forest, is a long standing member of the New Forest Golf Club and when it went on the market, he saw an opportunity to bring the ownership of this much acclaimed and quite stunning parkland golf course back into local ownership.

The New Forest Estate is 4k west of Tyrrellspass, off junction 4 of the M6. The New Forest Estate has a mix of rolling natural landscapes and is home to one of Ireland’s most admired 18-hole parkland golf courses.
The sale also included 21 two-bedroom, self-catering cottages, a private cottage and a modern maintenance building.

The Cunninghams intend to open up membership of the golf club to local people at attractive rates. Their aim is to create a real community spirit within the club and provide another great amenity for the area.

The centrepiece to the estate is New Forest House, a mid to late 18th century manor house and a listed building, which was formerly the home of the governor of Western Australia and Tasmania. The building is mainly three-storey over basement and has recently been carefully refurbished and extended.

The new owners have already installed a new professional catering team led by a highly regarded locally based head chef and the New Forest Estate and Golf Club can now provide a superb dining experience for both formal and informal occasions.

Last year, New Forest golf course was ranked in Ireland’s Top 100 Golf Courses by the Golf Digest (2012) and the flourishing New Forest Golf Club is also affiliated to the GUI.

Dermot Curtin of CBRE said: “The sale of the New Forest Estate and Golf Course to local entrepreneurs and successful businessmen like the Cunninghams is a fantastic outcome for all involved in the sale and offers a huge degree of stability to the existing members and any new members who will undoubtedly be attracted by the excellent amenities available, which will be added to by the new owners.”