Montague Real Estate, London-based boutique real estate firm, recently brokered the €5.5 million sale of a private island off the south coast of Ireland by a European buyer who had never stepped foot on the land.
Photo Credit: Montague Real Estate
Landing on the helipad at Horse Island, the new owner and his visitors will enjoy the 64-hectare (157-acre) island in Roaringwater Bay, in the western part of Cork, which has seven houses (the main residence has six bedrooms), a gym, and a tennis court, along with a "shipwreck playhouse". Electricity, water, and sewage-independent, the island is the epitome of private in current days of social distancing.
Photo Credit: Montague Real Estate
“The owner fell in love with the scenery,” said Thomas Balashev, Founder and CEO of Montague Real Estate. “He specifically wanted an island in the British Isles with the kind of scenery Horse Island has to offer. He hadn’t visited the island prior to the purchase but had seen all the scenery and amenities via video.” The island has roads that travel throughout the land and three private beaches.
Photo Credit: Montague Real Estate
Throughout the 19th century, the island was characterized by its copper mine and small population. Years after it had been deserted, the German tycoon Gert Kölbel bought and renovated Horse Island in the 1980s.
Photo Credit: Montague Real Estate
In Victorian times, Horse Island had a copper mine and a peak population of 137 people before becoming uninhabited, the mine and village left in ruins. Gert Kölbel, a German fitness expert-turned tycoon, bought and renovated the site in the 1980s. It went through renovation once again starting in 2007 and reintroduced to the market in 2018.
Photo Credit: Montague Real Estate
The island's sale is the latest of high-profile purchases in recent months as the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine measure took place.
Photo Credit: Montague Real Estate
"Horse Island is a unique trophy asset; sourcing the land and getting the sale over the line during COVID-19 has been a challenge, so naturally we are delighted with this result," added Balashev.
