Mark Zuckerberg buys Strancally Castle and 440 acres in Ireland

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has expanded his vast global property portfolio to the south of Ireland, securing a historic 19th-century estate along the River Blackwater. The acquisition brings a new billionaire neighbor to rural County Waterford, sparking local discussion across the parish over what the tech founder's arrival might mean for the community.

According to American Bazaar Online, the Meta CEO purchased Strancally Castle alongside 440 acres of surrounding grassland and woodland. The three-story Gothic Revival residence spans 16,000 square feet and was constructed between 1825 and 1835 for a former conservative member of parliament by architects James and George Richard Pain, as noted by Architectural Digest. The National Built Heritage Service of Ireland recorded the construction timeline, and the property was sold by Michael Alen-Buckley, co-founder of the London-based private investment firm RAB Capital, and his wife Giancarla, who had owned the estate for a quarter of a century.

Media additions

While the exact purchase price remains undisclosed, Yahoo Finance and The Irish Times report that estimates place the transaction between €20 million and €30 million, equivalent to approximately $23 million to $35 million USD. A spokesperson for Zuckerberg, Brian Baker, confirmed the purchase to American Bazaar Online and Business Insider in an email statement. Baker stated that Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have been searching for an Irish home base for some time to spend time near Meta's international headquarters.

Zuckerberg first considered acquiring an old Irish home previously, when he reportedly offered to buy an estate in Kildare from Liberty Media's John Malone last summer. Malone told The Wall Street Journal that Zuckerberg remarked on how beautiful it was, to which Malone replied that it was not for sale.

Previous owners of the estate expressed optimism about the transition.

"We are delighted that Mark and his family intend to build on our stewardship by continuing to invest in maintaining and enhancing the property and grounds as their home in a sustainable manner. We wish them and their family much happiness in this unique and blessed place."

Previous owners, via American Bazaar Online

Local residents in the community of Knockanore have greeted the news with a mixture of amusement and pragmatism. As The Irish Times reports, residents first learned of the sale at Mass. Locals noted that the Alen-Buckley family mostly kept to themselves while attending Mass at Christmas and Easter and hosting a wedding there years prior. Residents are already accustomed to high-net-worth neighbors utilizing private aviation in the Blackwater Valley. Inventors, international business figures, and stud farm owners frequently traverse the region by helicopter. Colman Kirby noted that Zuckerberg's private jets can make the journey from San Francisco on a single fill of fuel, anticipating that the new owner will likely apply for planning permission for a helicopter pad.

The estate's historical footprint runs deep. Just under three miles away lie the medieval ruins of the original Strancally Castle, which date back to the 12th century and carry a darker local lore. According to a passage in the 19th-century book Researches in the South of Ireland cited by Architectural Digest, the older castle featured a murderous trap door dropping down into a watery grave, and was blown up by government orders due to atrocious cruelties committed there. The newer 19th-century replacement has been thoroughly modernized over the decades, complete with an indoor swimming pool. Its sprawling layout is famously vast; a 1975 architectural book called The Houses of Ireland, cited by Architectural Digest and Yahoo Finance, notes that it required a brisk walk of four and a half minutes to travel from the kitchen to the dining room.

The acquisition places Zuckerberg alongside other prominent international entrepreneurs who have invested in historic Irish country houses. Vacuum inventor James Dyson acquired nearby Ballynatray House in 2024, and Stripe co-founder John Collison bought Abbey Leix in County Laois in 2021.

Global Property Portfolio

• Palo Alto, California: Primary residence near company headquarters in the Crescent Park neighborhood, consisting of five homes including one with an artificially intelligent assistant.
• Kauai, Hawaii: Sprawling multi-acre compound known as Koolau Ranch, covering more than 1,700 acres with over a dozen buildings, mansions, and underground structures.
• Miami, Florida: Waterfront nine-bedroom mansion acquired in February 2026 for $170 million, measuring roughly 30,000 square feet with a swimming pool, gym, library, hair salon, and dock.
• Lake Tahoe: Two waterfront holdings spanning more than 7,500 square feet, acquired for $59 million.
• County Waterford, Ireland: The newly acquired Strancally Castle and 440-acre estate along the River Blackwater.

As the community awaits the family's arrival, local residents like Aidan Sexton at Knockanore National School suggest that Zuckerberg and Chan will likely remain very private residents. Locals are already speculating on whether the new landowner might support regional initiatives, noting that Dyson previously funded a local AstroTurf facility, raising the possibility that the local Shamrocks GAA club might approach Zuckerberg for community support.