ELY Lodge, a spectacular country estate on the shores of Lough Erne, has been placed on the market with a guide price of £5 million.
The historic 209-acre property includes more than 2.7 miles of private lough frontage, a seven-bedroom residence, five cottages, traditional farmyard, walled garden, arboretum, woodland and pasture. It also boasts private jetties, boathouses, and shooting rights over 3,000 acres.
After 31 years at Ely Lodge, current owner Ian Cathcart said it was with mixed emotions that the family had decided to sell.
“We have had immense joy from the property. It has been a big challenge as well because it is quite an extensive estate, but we adapted it to our way of life,” he told the ‘Herald.
“One of our children was just a month old when we moved here, the eldest was eleven. They had the joy of growing up with the walks and the lake – it’s such a unique place.”
The estate certainly has a rich heritage.
Once the Ulster seat of the fifth Duke and Duchess of Westminster, it was linked to the Loftus family of Loftus Hall and played a role during the Second World War as a US Navy site.
It was later home to Lieutenant Colonel Robert Grosvenor, the fifth Duke of Westminster, and the birthplace of Gerald Grosvenor, the sixth Duke.
Mr Cathcart said the decision to sell was made as the family had now moved on.
“We are going to find it very difficult, but we think it is the best thing for the estate. We just hope the next family enjoy it as much as we did.”
Neal Morrison of Savills Belfast described Ely Lodge as ‘a once-in-a-generation opportunity to acquire an estate of exceptional quality and heritage in one of the most scenic parts of Northern Ireland’.
James Butler of Savills Dublin added, “It is one of the most private country estates in Ireland, with a unique combination of assets and significant appeal to those seeking a waterfront residential estate with amenity.”