AN abandoned church in Castlefinn has sold for almost double its original asking price.
The 150-year-old Congregational Church of Ireland property, located in the town’s Diamond area, had been on the market for over two years. When it failed to sell estate agent Martin McGowan sent it to auction.
It was bought by someone in Dublin for €120,000, well beyond the original asking price of €65,000.
The buyer has not declared what his or her plans for the unique building are but it is thought they are considering using it for residential purposes. Their options are likely be limited though as the building is listed, meaning its external facade will have to be protected.
The church, which was built around 1870, attracted considerable interest due to its highly unusual nature – it came with its own wooden pulpit, lattice stain glazing and beamed roof typical of many old religious buildings.
Despite the features though it repeatedly failed to sell and over the last 18 months it had started to deteriorate.
Martin McGowan said the purchaser was keen to bring it back into some of sort of use.
“This is the third time we have had sale agreed on it, the other two times it didn’t work out for different reasons.
“It is nearly three years since it first came to market and I was so invested in it that I couldn’t walk away, I had to hang in there.”
The church’s interior. While dilapidated, it does retain many of its original features making it something of a blank canvas for a developer.
Mr McGowan added that he looked forward to seeing the old church regenerated and given a new lease of life.
“It is nice that we have had a successful conclusion to it, both for the sellers and the buyers.
“For the people who owned it, they were of the point of view that it was becoming a liability and a bit of drain because they had to secure it and keep it wind and watertight.
“For the buyers, they have a very unique property and I look forward to seeing what they eventually do with it.
“And then of course there is the community. They will get to see something positive done with the church rather than it falling into dereliction.”
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