IRELAND’S EYE HAS been sold to a private investment group.

The uninhabited island, located off the coast of Howth in Dublin, was included in the recent sale of Howth Castle and demesne to Tetrarch Capital.

Ireland’s Eye will remain accessible to members of the public following the sale.

The land was previously owned by the Gaisford-St Lawrence family, descendants of the first Lord of Howth. The castle had been the family’s private residence since 1177.

A spokesperson for Tetrarch Capital told TheJournal.ie that tour operators in Howth will “continue to offer boat trips to Ireland’s Eye, and these visitors are very welcome to the island”.

“It is our intention to work closely with key stakeholders to preserve the beauty, amenity and accessibility of Ireland’s Eye,” the spokesperson said. 

Ireland’s Eye, like other islands off the Dublin coast, is designated as a Special Protected Area under the European Commission’s Birds Directive.

The island is an important breeding location for puffins, cormorants, gannets, guillemots, herring gulls and other bird species.

Employees will keep their jobs 

The sale also included Deer Park Hotel and golf courses in Howth.

When details of the sale first emerged last October, Tetrarch announced their “masterplan for the entire Demesne”.

This plan is likely to include a luxury hotel on the site of the existing hotel building, a championship golf course, a new leisure centre, retail elements, and sports and recreational facilities.

All staff members currently employed at Howth Castle and demesne will continue to work there under Tetrarch’s ownership of the estate.

Speaking last October, when the sale was first announced, Julian Gaisford-St Lawrence said: “My family and I are very grateful to have been the owners of the Howth Estate for the last 840 years, and having built the castle, being part of the Howth community for so long.

“We developed the castle and golf courses as a tourist attraction over the last 50 years, but lacked the resources to maximise its potential. The sale to Tetrarch will enable that potential to be reached.”

Tetrarch’s portfolio includes Mount Juliet Estate in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny; Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Co Dublin; and Killashee Hotel in Naas, Co Kildare.