SIMPLY Red popstars Mick Hucknall and Chris De Margary have put their Donegal estate on the market with an asking price of €2.6 million.
The musicians, who are keen anglers, bought Glenmore Lodge on the River Finn near Ballybofey in 2005 for an estimated €1.3m and have since run the Glenmore Rivers Sporting Estate there.
Offers are now being sought on the property which has hunting rights to over 19,000 acres in the Bluestacks.
Unique in the quality of the game angling, deer stalking and rough shooting it offers, Glenmore offers in excess of sixty kilometres of estate-run rivers teem with salmon and trout while the shooting ground is home to herds of Red deer. Throughout the winter the hillsides and bogs are said to provide woodcock and snipe shooting; the numerous lakes give opportunities for outstanding duck shooting and trout fishing.
Selling agents Savills describe it as being a mixed sporting estate with extensive fishing, shooting rights and five bedroom fishing lodge.
“Salmon and sea trout fishing on the River Finn and River Reelin (exclusive rights jointly owned), 5 year average (2012-2016) – 416 salmon, snipe, woodcock and duck shooting, red deer stalking and wild brown trout fishing,” the brochure reads.
Speaking to the Donegal News yesterday, Thursday, Mr Pat O’Hagan, Savills, said the vendors feel that the time was now right to move on.
“They’ve had great fun with it over the years but they haven’t been able to use the property as much as they would have liked in more recent times,” he said.
The Simply Red members have developed a large tourism business, attracting continental game-sports parties, since 2005. They purchased the shooting and fishing rights to the old Glenmore Estate from Leslie Mackie in 2005.
DeMargary has a property in Welchtown along with this wife, Sarah Brown, who was a backing singer in the band.