Knockdrin Castle seeking new future as events venue
A landmark Westmeath estate could soon be welcoming paying guests and hosting social functions after Westmeath County Council received notification of a major planning application for the restoration and redevelopment of Knockdrin Castle, one of Ireland’s finest neo-Gothic country houses.
The proposal, submitted to Westmeath County Council by Sandy Lane Properties Ltd, of which the directors are Noel and Valerie Moran of Commons Road Navan, seeks both retention permission for completed works and approval for new development and a change of use. The castle and its grounds, covering 10.48 hectares on the Castlepollard Road (R394) outside Mullingar, are on the Record of Protected Structures.
Under the retention element, permission is sought for the restoration and refurbishment of the castle, including 12 guest bedrooms, a dining room, bar, ballroom and kitchen.
Also included is the retention of replacement kitchen windows to the rear, a rebuilt modern conservatory on the east side, and key infrastructure such as drainage, water supply, a 100-person-equivalent concrete sewage treatment system, utilities and fire safety services.
Works to the estate’s two historic entrance lodges and gates – themselves protected structures – are also covered, including the installation of new entrance gates.
The development element proposes a change of use from private residence to an events and hospitality venue offering dining and overnight accommodation.
Plans include the continued use of the two vehicular access points from the R394, partial realignment of a boundary wall at the north entrance to improve sightlines, and enhancements to internal access roads with new pedestrian and vehicular signage.
Parking provision would be expanded to 74 spaces, including four accessible bays, along with two coach spaces. A waste storage area would be added in the castle’s internal courtyard, and the formal gardens and pedestrian pathways would be restored and enhanced.
Built in the early 19th century for the Levinge family, Knockdrin Castle is regarded by architectural historians as one of Ireland’s most important castellated houses.
The three-storey structure, with its battlemented towers and oriel windows, is notable for its top-lit oak staircase, ornate gallery with fluted shafts, and the remains of a medieval tower house incorporated into its design.
In 1960, Hans and Irene von Prondzynski, a couple of German origin, Hans from a family of Polish nobility, purchased Knockdrin Castle and its sprawling estate. They moved in the following year and made it their family home, where they raised their children between Ireland and Germany.
In January 2021, Ferdinand von Prondzynski sold the Knockdrin estate – amounting to roughly 1,000 acres – for just under €10 million to Navan entrepreneurs Noel and Valerie Moran, who have since undertaken extensive works aimed at preserving the building’s heritage while adapting it for new uses.
If approved, the plans would mark a new chapter for Knockdrin, shifting it from a private estate to a high-end hospitality venue, while retaining and showcasing its rich architectural and historical legacy.