selectedPrice = getBundleById(previouslySelectedPriceId); 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. var label = "shopfront"; event: '_trackEvent', eventLabel = 'saturday'; if (bundle_info) { }; const cookieExpiryInSeconds = 60 * 60 * 24 * 30; ecommerce: { return -1; And because Sean hopes to use his show business connections to rent out the castles and land as television and film locations, he will use a generator to power up the castle so there are no tell-tale electricity poles that would detract from its authenticity. if (isGrantedBy('purchase')) { const isGrantedBy = function (grant) { window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (badge.indexOf('print_monthly_') > -1) { }); The letter from the priest worked as Simon was sacked, but in his determination, he decided to head to the bright lights of London rather than face a slagging from his schoolmates and took the well-worn emigrant route but with a formulated plan for success already jolting around in his head. list: getListName(), fireAddToCartEvent(); if (isShopFront) { function setPriceSelected(priceID) { Cloontykilla castle aka rockingham castle built in 1839 is now the new home of actor sean simons. window.dataLayer.push({ const setBundleToFullWidth = function (el) { if (isShopFront){ fireCheckoutEvent(); const isNumber = function (evt) { 6 posts. if (vars.article.wallType === 'premium') { } })[0]; let userHasLoggedIn = false; }; el.parentElement.classList.add('-bestvalue'); if (socialNetwork === 'twitter' || socialNetwork === 'twitterVideo') { } } } const isCoupons = false; const disableRedirect = false; That quote was attributed to Shimon Peres, an Israeli statesman, and president. } bundles = event.detail.object.prices.map(priceToEcommerceProduct); Asked at the time now 25 years ago why be bought it, he simply replied: Because its a castle and I love it. It is a love that has not faded. 'home-delivery': 'fp_refresh_price_only', } fireAddToCartEvent(); return item; if (Object.keys(event.detail.object.badge || {}).indexOf('home-delivery') > -1) { if (document.getElementById('fp-snackbar')) { Sean Simon got his big break while playing as understudy to legendary Elvis impersonator and pop singer, PJ Proby, and eventually took over the lead role in the West End show Are You Lonesome Tonight that propelled him to fame and fortune. if (eventType === 'new_card_created' && isUpgrades) { template_already_subscriber: "

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Your account has already a premium subscription linked. eventAction: 'auth', }); const selectedRegional = localStorage.getItem('selectedRegionals'); } } const thresholdInMilliseconds = thresholdInHours * (60 * 60 * 1000); \u0026amp;ldquo;That one is 500-years-old.\u0026amp;rdquo;The woods are also home to herds of wild deer, endangered pine martins and red squirrels. } }); return { userWall = 'googlewall'; }); } "Can't beat a good Irish pub" - David Beckham celebrates son's birthday in Dublin, UPDATE: Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murdering wife and son, WATCH: Irish bishop's funeral held in Los Angeles today, Liam Neeson, Michael D Higgins and Bono among voices featured on "Patrick Kavanagh Almost Everything'". return 'premium-plus'; successful_upgrade_redirect_url: 'https://subscribe.independent.ie/welcome/premium-plus/', el.querySelector('a[data-price_id]').style.display = 'inline-flex'; (function () { Sean Simon fell in love with the ruins of Cloontyhuga Castle as he played there as a boy. if (['fp-card-number', 'fp-card-expiry', 'fp-card-cvc'].indexOf(element.id) === -1) { } } // Push initial dataLayer values into object. showOrderSummary(node, previouslySelectedPriceId); Sean set about protecting his castles from further ruin and damage caused by the harsh environment and weather, often undertaking dangerous tasks such as cutting ivy which was as thick as a human wrist from the top of a precariously perched ladder, three stories up the side of the old castle walls. sean simons castle today 2021. previouslySelectedPriceId) { The exclusive venue will cater for small private weddings and parties too. window.showSubscriberElements(); }); brand: 'INM', } flipPayConfig = Object.assign(flipPayConfig, { if (leafletTag) { } let homeDeliveryButtonCheck = false; if (tabs) { if (bundles.length === 1 && bundles[0].coupon_applied === true) { The actor Sean Simon at Cloontykilla Castle Alison Gill Sunday June 20 2021, 12.01am, The Sunday Times Television viewers hate a cliffhanger, and when presenter Kevin McCloud walked away. }; name: purchase.description, } else if (accessObject.access === false) { script.src = flipPayJsUrl; if (!selectedPrice) { } } document.getElementById('welcome_banner_wrapper').style.display = "block"; var leafletTag = false; }; }; } else if (node.id === 'dac-order-summary') { The only caveat is that they share the same passion for restoring Irelands castles to their former glory and not destroying them by modernising them or turning them into Disneyland-like creations. } else { upgrade_bundles = event.detail.object.upgrade_prices.map(priceToEcommerceProduct); node.removeAttribute('hidden'); let meteredPaywall = 'undefined'; window.dataLayer[0].user.meteredPaywall = meteredPaywall; There is also a private shoreline with its own harbour.\u0026amp;ldquo;It will be selectively rented out,\u0026amp;rdquo; he said, adding that the castle will\u00a0appeal to those with a love of history and architecture as well as nature.The castle sits on 20 acres of ancient woodland overlooking Lough Key. userID: cookieData.userID, const params = {}; } eventAction: priceholder.dataset.sku_code + '|' + priceholder.dataset.price_to_display_billed + '|' + contract, return [selectedPrice]; } } }; Id like to see more self-styled Lord Mucks take over.. But an American investor stepped in and provided the necessary funding for him to retain ownership and continue his renovation of Cloontykilla Castle and preservation of McDermott\u0026amp;rsquo;s Castle.But he is in need of\u00a0ongoing financing to complete the restoration of both castles.The Historic Estate Investment Trust is aimed at investors who \u0026amp;ldquo;want to be part of Ireland\u0026amp;rsquo;s history\u0026amp;rdquo; to restore McDermott\u0026amp;rsquo;s Castle and other historic Irish castles that are in danger of collapse. When Sean Simon was seven years 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. }, 1000); bundleContainer.classList.toggle('-three', bundleContainer.children.length === 3); '&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= badges: price['badge'] || {}, showOrderSummary(node, previouslySelectedPriceId); A long time later he purchased it with transforming it into a dynamite dramatic false sixteenth century home complete with excellent baronial lobby extravagance rooms clearing staircases. } // Regionals Container event: 'ee-productImpression', } window.dataLayer.push({ const bundleValue = getBundleValue(purchase, 'corporate_account'); successful_upgrade_redirect_url = 'https://subscribe.independent.ie/welcome/premium-plus/'; const priceIdFromUrl = getQueryStringValue('priceId'); } else if (badge.indexOf('print_annual_') > -1) { window.dataLayer[0].article.wallVisible = 'true'; onboarding_article = 'https://subscribe.independent.ie/welcome/home-delivery/'; }; if (eventType === 'content_displayed') { if (selectedPriceRadioInput) { : [selectedPrice] productClickSource = window.shopFrontHeaderSubscribe ? for (var x = 0; x < badges.length; x++) { window.location.href = flipPayConfig.premium_content_redirect_url; mutation.addedNodes.forEach(node => { shopfront_url: 'https://subscribe.independent.ie/', premium_content_redirect_url: 'https://subscribe.independent.ie/welcome/premium/', updateTemplateForHomeDelivery(node); productClickSource: productClickSource, }); }, window.shopFrontHeaderSubscribe = false; if (! } bundle: 'none', const getBundleValue = function (purchase, purchaseType) { let member_redirect = getQueryStringValue('source') === 'mc' ? Sean says that he wont give up on the childhood dream until he is personally welcoming guests into his stately castle, and even then, he says (with a wink in his eye) that there is still another dream yet to be completed on his beloved Castle Island. const item = setPriceSelected(priceID); badgeToFilterBy = 'upgrade'; His loan was subsequently sold on to a vulture fund and thus the battle to save the dream continued until he met another Irish advocate, Brian Reilly, who managed to persuade an American investor friend, Kenneth D. Peterson, who already has business interests in Ireland, to come on-board and keep the project alive. }; } else if (purchase.badge['print_annual'] && purchase.badge['print_annual'] == true) { } } Investors will own part of the castle and he has set his sights on the Irish diaspora \u0026amp;ldquo;who went to America during the Famine and now they\u0026amp;rsquo;re billionaires\u0026amp;rdquo;.The only caveat is that they share the same passion for restoring Ireland\u0026amp;rsquo;s castles to their former glory and not destroying them by modernising them or turning them into Disneyland-like creations.\u0026amp;ldquo;Your money is in bricks and mortar,\u0026amp;rdquo; he said, adding: \u0026amp;ldquo;You don\u0026amp;rsquo;t have to be stone mad but it helps.\u0026amp;rdquo;\u00a0He has already spent\u00a0around \u20ac3m\u00a0restoring Cloontykilla Castle which had trees growing in it when he bought it in 1997. if (!! purchase.coupon_applied : null, return; }, element.closest('.field1').classList.toggle('-blank', element.classList.contains('StripeElement--empty')); subscribeLink.style.display = 'inline-flex'; June 11, 2022 Posted by: illustrator graphic design tutorials . } else { if (!isShopFront) { } } All the new construction within the castle has degraded dramatically. if (price.placeholder_prices.length > 0) { The castle holds over 800 years of stored memory in its stone walls and is perhaps one of the most significant historic sites in Irelands Hidden Heartlands, particularly given that it is also the site of a 2,500-year-old Bronze Age settlement. card_expiry_style: stripeInputStyle, const thresholdInHours = Number('0' || '0'); subscriptionStatus: purchase.granted_by_app_purchase.sku_code, if (event.detail.object.hasOwnProperty('granted_by_google_showcase')) { } Did Sean finish the castle on grand designs? listenForGigyaEvents(); return; } } try { var p = purchase['granted_by_' + purchaseType]; subscriptionStartDate: '0000-00-00T00:00:00Z', template_summary_coupon_code: "

Coupon Code

", if (now.getTime() > item.expiry) { const subscriberCookieName = 'subscriber'; } } Sean simons cloontykilla castle now.. Grand designs cloontykilla castle update. flipPayConfig = Object.assign(flipPayConfig, { badgeToFilterBy = urlHash; return !! subscriptionStatus: 'Whitelist', window.inmTracking.trackEventAsVirtualPageView(virtualPageViewData); selectedPrice._id) { const listenForFlipPayEvents = function () { let eventLabel; if (priceA.badges['premium'] && priceB.badges['home-delivery']) { overpaid mortgage interest refund. if (badgeToUse !== '') { window.showNonSubscriberElements) { if (document.getElementById("map") !== null) { }; const parseTweetIdFromUrl = function (url) { }); const badgeTextEl = el.querySelector('.fp-badge-text'); const setActiveTab = function (tabPrefix) { } leafletTag = scripts[i]; if (priceIdFromUrl) { }; eventCategory: 'upgrade_flow', The second castle is shore-based and far more accessible. document.getElementById(selectedTabId).parentNode.classList.add('is-active'); 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. } const flipPayJsUrl = 'https://cdn.flip-pay.com/clients/inm/flip-pay.js'; } return Object.keys(purchase).indexOf('coupon_code') > -1; const domain = '.independent.ie'; document.cookie = subscriberCookieName + "= ; expires = Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT"; You are now a premium subscriber', Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! return cookieData; event: 'ee-addToCart', metered_content: false, virtualPageViewData.eventData.user.wallType = 'none'; window.dataLayer.push({ const couponCodeUsed = function (purchase) { } const scripts = document.querySelectorAll("script"); }); for (i = scripts.length-1; i >= 0; i--) { } window.loadGTM = function () { const badgeElement = el.querySelector(`[data-badge="${badge}"]`); }, []) el.removeAttribute(namespace+'-initialized'); plans.forEach(function (plan) { if (badges.indexOf('home-delivery') > -1) { selectedPrice = bundles[0]; Yet there have been few renovations as crazy as wonderfully misguided as delightfully romantic yet totally demented as last nights in the first episode of. !subscriberCookie.subscriptionStatus ? homeDeliveryButtonCheck = true; position: 0, Discover your full benefits as a Premium subscriber. document.getElementById('discover_more_banner').href = onboarding_article; Health and safety were definitely not a priority for a man with little fear of life or danger. biryani by kilo halal or jhatka; sherlock holmes siblings; pizza restaurants from the '80s that no longer exist; what happened to izzy morales mother } } const priceIdFromUrl = getQueryStringValue('priceId') if (getCookie('guid')) { return null; return price; What happened to Sean Simons castle from Grand Designs. successful_upgrade_redirect_url: 'https://member.independent.ie/', if (listeningForGigyaEvents === true) { }); //if the item doesn't exist, return null let flipPayConfig = { onLogout: function () { On This Day: Arthur Guinness, founder of the Dublin brewery, died in 1803. return 'shopfront'; const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(urlQueryString); premium_content_redirect_url: decodeURIComponent(returnURL), // Flatten the array by 1 level. Convert time from hours to milliseconds (360000 represents number of ms in an hour). el.querySelector('a[data-price_id]').href = el.querySelector('a[data-price_id]').href + '&returnURL=' + returnURL; } const showUpgradeButton = false; userID: purchase.granted_by_purchase.user_id, redirectToShopFrontWelcomePage(); The lights of his native Boyle and Carrick-on-Shannon can be seen twinkling across the water as dusk falls. evt.which : evt.keyCode; eventAction: 'auth', bundle: bundleValue, eventData: { let successful_upgrade_redirect_url = 'https://subscribe.independent.ie/welcome/'; }; }, He said: Some people call me Lord Muck and I love it. } 'none' : 'registration'; priceToDisplayBilledFrequency.style.display = 'none'; const fireProductClickEvent = function (fn) { event: '_trackEvent', It was used as a hunting lodge by the aristocracy of the region. if (element.id === 'gigya-verification-sent-screen') { base: { Simon is turning Cloontykilla Castle into a magnificent 5* luxury retreat for paying guests and emphasizes that it will be a completely authentic experience in its feel, layout, and design. } else { span_tag.appendChild(text); window.loadGTM(); successful_upgrade_redirect_url: 'https://subscribe.independent.ie/welcome/premium/', } else if (Object.keys(p.badge || {}).indexOf('print_annual') > -1) { const now = new Date().getTime(); value: priceID, const showOrderSummary = function (node, priceId) { } priceExpireExist[prices[key]['id']] = Date.parse(prices[key]['active_to']); } catch (e) { vars.article.userWall = 'none'; }); const socialNetwork = socialEmbed.dataset.socialNetwork; if (! const item = { selectedPrice = getBundleById(priceIdFromUrl); if (isGrantedBy('corporate_account')) { badgeMap[tabPrefix + '-monthly-prices-tab-trigger'] = 'monthly'; return 0; document.body.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(eventName)); } return item.value;

', callback: function (user) { window.showNonSubscriberElements(); return cookieValue; Heres how he made that dream come true. }); Over the following years, with grants from the local council it was made safe again. template_price_badge: '

>>badge_label<< >>badge_note<<

', } const price_link = el.querySelector('a[data-price_id]'); if (element.tagName === 'BODY' && ! } } } premium_content_redirect_url: premium_content_redirect_url, if (tweetUrl) { In the meantime, Sean is doggedly pursuing Ulster Bank through the Irish courts for alleged fraud against him, amongst other things. if (!isHomeDelivery) { subscriptionStartDate: cookieData.subscriptionStartDate, }; return 'epaper-access'; const flipPayEl = document.getElementById('flip-pay'); window.inmTracking.trackEventAsVirtualPageView(virtualPageViewData); }; } }, products: [purchasedProduct] virtualPageViewData.eventData.article = { if (subscribeLink) { } }; position: index, } if (meteredModal) { user: { } badgeElement.style.display = 'block'; }; You can enjoy all premium content without redeeming this code.