Thursday, March 28, 2024

Island Market

Ireland: Private Island Star of Ireland’s Biggest Ever Public Auction

A picturesque private island located off the coast of County Mayo looks set to become the main attraction in the country’s biggest auction in modern history.

Dunvillaun Island - Photo courtesy of Mayo.ie

Dunvillaun Island – Photo courtesy of Mayo.ie

Just days after Private Island News exclusively revealed Hamburg-based broker Vladi Private Islands’ sensational plans to auction off a private island via internet auction house eBay, it seems that the burgeoning trend for placing private islands under the hammer has now spread to the Republic of Ireland.

The next private island to go to the auction block is known as Dunvillaun Beg – a 55 acre island also known as Little Black Island. Whilst not quite as big a bargain as Vladi Private Islands’ auction island (which had a starting bid of just one dollar), Dunvillaun Beg’s reserve price of EUR 100,000 is still a dramatic drop from its original asking price of EUR 250,000 and is sure to get the pulses of many an island hunter racing.

Located off the coast of Belmullet in Ireland’s County Mayo, Dunvillaun Beg is completely devoid of properties but for the square-shaped Blacksod Lighthouse, constructed in 1864. Situated just 1.5 miles from Blacksod Pier on the Irish mainland, the scenic island is accessible exclusively via boat and boasts the extra convenience of being just minutes away from the famous Wild Atlantic Way tourist trail.

Despite being uninhabited since the 19th century, experts believe that – pending planning permission is granted – Dunvillaun Beg Island could lend itself perfectly to the construction of a small development – perhaps a private dwelling or a small farm. Indeed, the island already has great agricultural potential, as it is currently used as grazing for a herd of sheep which enjoy a free run over the lush terrain.

Set to go to under the hammer in Dublin’s RDS building on September 16th alongside a long list of 261 other properties and commercial buildings (amassing a combined value of EUR 60 million), it is thought that Dunvillaun Beg private island could well be one of the stand out features in what is already being billed as the biggest ever public auction in recent Irish history.

A spokesman for the auction-house listing Dunvillaun told Private Island News that after a difficult period following the recession, a cautious sense of optimism is returning to the Irish property market. “It’s very encouraging for the Irish property market to see such a strong offering of properties,” announced a company spokesman in an interview with The Irish Independent.

“It is pleasing to see the increase in the number of our clients who are buying properties,” added director Rob Hoban. “There is a positive movement within the industry and with it comes a marked increase in consumer confidence.”

Have your say: Which of the latest crop of private island auctions gets your pulse racing? Let us know whether you’d rather bid for Dunvllaun Beg (Ireland) or Hurricane Hole Island (Nova Scotia, Canada) via our Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages.

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