Government asked to pay €5m for 1500 acre Lugnaquilla summit holding

1527 acre Wicklow holding includes summit of Lugnaquilla at 925 metres.
Guide price drops by €5 million to €2 million ahead of May 1 auction.
Land contains priority habitats under EU law and attracts conservation funding.
Vendors write to Tánaiste Simon Harris and Minister Christopher O’Sullivan.
Property lies close to Wicklow Way long-distance walking trail.

The State has received a call to step in as the 1500 acre Lugnaquilla summit holding comes to auction with its guide price slashed by €5 million.

The land includes the highest point in Leinster at 925 metres and the Aghavannagh Mountain holding extends in one unbroken block from the village of Aghavannagh to the summit of Lugnaquilla. The property encompasses open mountain heather rough upland grazing and blanket bog with the River Ow forming the property’s natural boundary.

Auctioneer Colm Farrell describes the land as one of the most extraordinary mountain landholdings ever to come to the Irish market and expressions of serious interest have already been received from parties outside Ireland.

The land contains extensive priority habitats under EU law which attract conservation funding and State acquisition interest at premium values and the vendors have formally written to Tánaiste Simon Harris Minister of State Christopher O’Sullivan and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The holding sits close to the Wicklow Way Ireland’s oldest and most celebrated long-distance walking trail and gives it tourism recreational and amenity value.

The land will be sold by public auction on May 1 and a further 8.62 acres of road-fronting grazing land and 0.61 acres of enclosed land complete the holding. Minister for Nature

Colm Farrell shared “one of the most extraordinary mountain landholdings ever to come to the Irish market including the highest point in Leinster”.

Minister for Nature Christopher O’Sullivan shared “I’ve been very clear about my intention to increase the area of public land being managed for nature and the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department is always open to acquisitions that are good value for the people of Ireland and of high nature value as well. The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department is always open to acquisitions that are good value for the people of Ireland and of high nature value. The vendors believe that the addition of Lugnaquilla’s summit and southern slopes would be a transformative and historic expansion of Ireland’s protected landscape.