Site of Black Church Inn goes for €3.65 million at auction

THE former site of the renowned Rathcoole bar, The Black Church Inn, has been sold at public auction for €3.65m, over three times the original guide price of €1m quoted by auctioneers Coonan Property.

The site, bought by a local businessman, sits on 10.89 acres, and overlooks the M7 motorway. The price equates to over €335,000 per acre.

The premises, which has been closed for approximately five years, includes a hospitality venue which provides 5,200 sq ft (484 sq m) of accommodation, including bar, lounge, kitchen and ancillary facilities.

Extensive yard space, storage sheds as well as two green fields are also enclosed on the property, providing huge potential for a premises which sits on a prime location at one of the country’s busiest roads.

Running parallel to the M7 southbound carriageway, the buyer has the opportunity to create a high profile business in the form of commercial, industrial, logistics, agricultural or redevelopment uses, subject to the necessary planning consents.

The opening bid for the site was €1.4m which proceeded in tranches of €100,000 to €2.85m before Philip Byrne, of Coonan Properties signalled that it had been sold to the highest bidder, which was interrupted by a new bidder who competed in bids of €50,000 up to the selling price of €3,650,000.

The property was sold by the family who operated it prior to its closure.