It was built\u00a0on what was once the sprawling 3,000 acre Rockingham demesne and estate that was bought by the famous British architect John Nash, who designed Buckingham Palace.He\u00a0fell in love and vowed to become rich one day and buy it\u00a0and the crumbling 14th century McDermott\u0026amp;rsquo;s Castle nearby that sits majestically on Castle Island \u2013\u00a0also known as \u0026amp;ldquo;The Rock\u0026amp;rdquo; \u2013\u00a0its own tiny island in the middle of Lough Key.Following his success as an actor in London\u0026amp;rsquo;s West End where he had\u00a0lead roles in hit productions of \u00a0and played Elvis Presley in \u00a0as well as appearing alongside Gabriel Byrne in\u00a0\u00a0and other films, he had the means to buy both properties from Coillte.Asked at the time \u2013 now 25 years ago \u2013 why be bought it, he simply replied: \u0026amp;ldquo;Because it\u0026amp;rsquo;s a castle and I love it.\u0026amp;rdquo; It is a love that has not faded.This year will not only mark a decade since his restoration of Cloontykilla Castle, which was one of the most watched episodes of Channel 4\u0026amp;rsquo;s \u00a0programme, it also heralds the start of a new investment fund that he launched on January 1.He hopes the fund\u00a0will enable him to protect\u00a0McDermott\u0026amp;rsquo;s Castle from further decay and eventually restore it and put the finishing touches on his decades-long restoration of Cloontykilla Castle.He almost lost both properties following the 2008 property crash when Ulster Bank\u00a0sold on his\u00a0loan to Seaconview, a vulture fund, that sought to auction off the property. selectedPrice = bundles[0]; }); } }); Hi Sean, Just tonight saw your Castle rebuild on Grand Design. !gigyaID ? if (! }; eventCategory: 'upgrade_flow', if (subscribeButton) { } Welcome! } else if (isUpgrades) { } }; subscriptionFinishDate: '', price: price.amount, Simon knocked on doors of well-known artists agents and managed to end up opening shows for established stars such as Sir Harry Secombe, Mike Yarwood, Ken Dodd, and many of the legendary entertainers from the 60s and 70s era. if (event.detail.object.google_showcase_requested === true) { params[pair[0]] = pair[1]; But there's more: discover your full benefits now. document.querySelectorAll('[data-'+namespace+']').forEach(function (el) { 'shop-front': 'fp_refresh_price', const thresholdInMilliseconds = thresholdInHours * (60 * 60 * 1000); } if (isRegionalShopFront) { } listeningForGigyaEvents = true; } Sean Simon hasnt stopped dreaming even though he has already achieved a lifetime of experiences that most of us can only allude to. productClickSource = window.shopFrontHeaderSubscribe ? } Grand opening to be confirmed. return allPrices.concat(item); wallType: window.dataLayer[0].article.wallType, granted_by_purchase: purchase }; Dates Avail incl Ireland bank holidays. }; var nowTimeStamp = Date.now(); bundle: 'premium-plus', if (bundle_info) { showPremiumBadge(node); June 11, 2022 Posted by: illustrator graphic design tutorials . document.getElementById(tabPrefix + '-tabs').querySelectorAll('a[toggle]').forEach(function (tab) { template_prices_price: '', subtree: true, Hefell in love and vowed to become rich one day and buy itand the crumbling 14th century McDermotts Castle nearby that sits majestically on Castle Island also known as The Rock its own tiny island in the middle of Lough Key. Over the following years, with grants from the local council it was made safe again. price.placeholder_prices.map(priceToEcommerceProduct) if (subscribeButton) { return key.indexOf('granted_by_') > -1; return false; subscribeLink.addEventListener('click', function (e) { if (event.detail.object.access === true) { productImpressionRecorded[flipPayConfig.filter_prices_by_badge] = true; www.cloontykillacastle.com. (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': const setSubscribeButtonColour = function (el) { eventLabel = 'saturday'; eventCallback: function () { } } } } if (document.getElementById("crosswords") !== null && document.getElementById("crosswords").dataset.src !== null) { }); subscriptionStartDate: purchase.granted_by_app_purchase.original_start_at, // if we have a selectedPrice we will continue to use it }); var span_tag = document.createElement("span"); 'shopfront_monthly_header_subscribe' : 'shopfront_monthly_subscribe'; if (Object.keys(selectedPrice).length === 0) { }, expiry: now.getTime() + subscriptionwallPricesSelectedExpiry, const bundleContainer = document.querySelector('.n-plans1'); if (userHasLoggedIn === true) { addShopFrontClasses(plan); Health and safety were definitely not a priority for a man with little fear of life or danger. } else if (Object.keys(p.badge || {}).indexOf('epaper-access') > -1) { upgradesAvailable = true; return item.value; return 'none'; } }; return -1; He said: Some people call me Lord Muck and I love it. } else if (node.id === 'dac-order-summary') { const fireCheckoutEvent = function () { if (badgeToUse !== '') { selectedPrice.placeholder_prices }, filter_prices_by_badge: badgeToFilterBy, event: 'ee-addToCart', }); } catch (e) { virtualPageViewData.eventData.user.wallType = 'none'; eventTimeout: 2000, } if (addToCartFiredAfterRegistration === false) { user: { fontFamily: '"Nuacht Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif', const now = new Date(); 6 posts. Cliffs of Moher and Burren Day Trip, Including Dunguaire Castle, Aillwee Cave, and Doolin from Galway. }; } else if (selectedPrice.delivery_days.length === 1 && selectedPrice.delivery_days.indexOf(0) > -1) { Cloontykilla Castle known locally as Rockingham Castle was bought by local actor Sen Simon in 1997 who has spent 12 million. return price; ecommerce: { if (Object.keys(window.dataLayer[0]).indexOf('article') > -1) { const urlQueryString = window.location.search; const setDataLayerMeterStats = function (accessObject) { if (element.id === 'gigya-verification-sent-screen') { But they and a letterbox at the entrance to the sprawling estate are the only hints that we are in the year 2022 and not centuries earlier.The castle is set far off the beaten track so there is no traffic noise or light pollution. } eventData: { vars.user.userID = subscriberCookie.userID || ''; return null; return 1; if (flipPayScriptThresholdExpired() || ! document.getElementById('welcome_popup_wrapper').style.display = "block"; template_summary_other_paymet_options: "

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", } else if (purchase.badge['print_annual'] && purchase.badge['print_annual'] == true) { } const purchasedProduct = { _id: purchase.price_id, script.src = flipPayJsUrl; name: price.name, } On This Day: Arthur Guinness, founder of the Dublin brewery, died in 1803. const badges = getBadgesForEl(el); }).map(function (key) { const cookieDomain = '.independent.ie'; template_summary_coupon_code: "

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", event: 'ee-productClick', product.quantity = 1; } window.dataLayer[0].article.wallVisible = 'true'; }[tabPrefix]; })[0]; } node.removeAttribute('hidden'); Sean recounts how as a young seven-year-old he told his parents that he would someday become rich and buy the two castles that are located in nearby Lough Key Forest Park, which is close to Carrick-on Shannon in County Leitrim. if (priceToDisplayBilledFrequency) { ecommerce: { const isCoupons = false; PCA Engineers. south glens falls school tax bills mozart: violin concerto 4 analysis mozart: violin concerto 4 analysis list: getListName(), return [selectedPrice]; j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'? const onMutation = function (mutations) { const pathParts = new URL(url).pathname.split('/'); userHasValidSubscriberCookie()) { meteredAccess: purchase.metered_paywall, window.showSubscriberElements(); template_prices: '>>prices<<

", eventAction: 'change_cc', Sean says that even donating $1 will help as "Every $1 will put another brick in the wall" Sean continues " Come on you Irish Americans! successful_upgrade_redirect_url = 'https://member.independent.ie/'; } previouslySelectedPriceId) { 'none' : 'registration'; 'false' : 'true'; window.location.hash = '#' + badgeToFilterBy; ","articleBody":"\u0026amp;ldquo;I think these places nearly talk to the owner,\u0026amp;rdquo; Irish actor Sean Simon says during a twilight tour of the grounds of his beloved Cloontykilla Castle overlooking the eastern shore of Lough Key in Co Roscommon. For wedding & event enquiries, contact www.secretbridesmaid.ie. vars.user.subscriptionStartDate = subscriberCookie.subscriptionStartDate || ''; const fireAddToCartEvent = function () { } } premium_content_redirect_url = 'https://subscribe.independent.ie/welcome/home-delivery/'; updateTemplateForHomeDelivery(plan);