One of the world’s richest men has found a new European retreat. Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have become the owners of the spectacular Strancally Castle in Ireland, a historic 1827 estate that looks as though it emerged from a modern Gothic fairy tale.
When a billionaire buys a vacation home, it is unlikely to be a two-bedroom cottage with a small backyard. In Mark Zuckerberg’s case, the new family retreat sits on an estate spanning an impressive 440 acres, with an almost 200-year-old castle at its heart, complete with towers, battlements, pointed windows and its own indoor swimming pool.
The Meta founder and his wife Priscilla Chan reportedly paid as much as $35 million for Strancally Castle in County Waterford, Ireland.
The estate is located around 150 kilometers southwest of Dublin, making it particularly convenient for Zuckerberg – the Irish capital is home to Meta’s international headquarters, with the company employing around 1,500 people in the country.
A 1,500-Square-Meter Castle With Its Own Towers
The main building is a three-story Gothic Revival residence constructed in 1827. It covers approximately 16,000 square feet, or nearly 1,500 square meters.
Its stone façade, decorative limestone details, towers, battlements and large glass conservatory give it the appearance of a true European castle, while the interior reveals a far more comfortable and contemporary way of life than its historic exterior might suggest.
Previous property records list 11 main bedrooms, five of which have en-suite bathrooms, while another four guest suites are located in a separate tower.
There is also a grand entrance hall, dining room, drawing room and library, alongside amenities that the property’s 19th-century owners certainly could never have imagined.
Previous owners Michael and Giancarla “Gianni” Alen-Buckley extensively renovated the estate, meaning that beneath its historic architecture there is now an impressive 25-meter indoor swimming pool, while the grounds include landscaped gardens and croquet lawns.
Almost Five Minutes From the Kitchen to the Dining Room
Yet one detail perhaps illustrates the sheer scale of Strancally Castle better than anything else.
According to a historical account of the estate, the journey from the former basement kitchen to the dining room takes as much as four and a half minutes at a brisk walking pace.
So if Priscilla Chan realizes she has forgotten something in the kitchen only after sitting down at the table, she is looking at an almost ten-minute round trip.
For Zuckerberg, that probably will not be much of a problem. He is known for intense workouts and “walk-and-talk” meetings, so his new home essentially comes with a built-in cardio program.
Zuckerberg Has Already Tried to Buy an Estate in Ireland
The purchase of Strancally Castle is not the tech billionaire’s first attempt to secure a substantial residence in the country.
In 2025, billionaire John Malone revealed that Zuckerberg had tried to purchase Castlemartin House and Estate in County Kildare, only to receive a rather straightforward response – the property was not for sale.
A year later, he found an alternative that could hardly be described as a compromise.
A representative for the family confirmed that Mark and his family are looking forward to continuing to care for the historic home and spending more time in Ireland.
The purchase also fits neatly with Zuckerberg’s well-known preference for vast private estates. His real estate portfolio already includes substantial properties in Hawaii, so 440 acres of Irish countryside actually seems entirely consistent with his previous habits.
The One Thing That Cannot Fit – His Superyacht
Strancally Castle even has a historic quay on the river, but there is one rather expensive problem: Zuckerberg will not be able to arrive at his new home aboard his most impressive floating possession.
His superyacht Launchpad, measuring around 118 meters and estimated to be worth approximately $300 million, is simply too large.
The yacht’s draft and a fixed bridge along the waterway effectively prevent the enormous Feadship from reaching the estate.
For a man whose fortune is estimated at around $187 billion, that is probably not a particularly serious logistical problem.
And Strancally Castle may be the perfect illustration of what luxury looks like when a conventional villa is no longer enough: 15 bedrooms, a 25-meter swimming pool, almost 1,500 square meters of historic architecture, 440 acres of land – and hallways long enough to turn retrieving a forgotten glass of water into a serious walk.
