Anyone who visits it never leaves alive”: Mark Zuckerberg buys legendary castle in Ireland for $35 million

One of the most impressive monuments in Ireland’s history now belongs to one of the most powerful figures in the technology industry.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have bought Strancally Castle, a magnificent 19th-century Gothic residence in County Waterford, Ireland.

As reported by the New York Post, the stone building has three floors and sits on a 110-acre estate overlooking the River Blackwater.

Confirmation of the purchase came from a spokesperson for Zuckerberg. The spokesperson said that the Facebook founder and his family “look forward to continuing to care for this historic home and spending time in Ireland, where Meta has its international headquarters.”

However, the castle’s history is not linked solely to its architecture and value. Strancally also carries a dark legend that lends the purchase an air of mystery.

English writer William Howitt, who died in 1879, wrote about a local tradition linking the area to criminal acts in the past.

According to his accounts, the castle may have been connected to the so-called Desmond Castles, medieval fortresses used by the Earls of Desmond in Ireland.

Howitt recounted dramatic stories in which unsuspecting visitors were lured to the castle, where they were then trapped and killed.

Although these tales belong to local tradition and are linked to unconfirmed historical events, they add an enigmatic element to the Meta founder’s new property.