When Newport House came on the market in March 2025, we knew we had to make a mad dash for an unexpected opportunity. The historic house (which you can read about here) reads like a romantic dream akin to a Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence, and in many ways, it is—but realistically, even the wealthy oilman who owned it for many years until his death in 2023, with highly acclaimed food complete with a kitchen garden and perhaps the best wine cellar in Ireland, had trouble keeping the house up. The fishery, an exceptional find in Ireland, is neglected.
Estimates to revive the property to a marketable business are around 10m euros. It's possible that a private family could acquire it, and we couldn't complain about that. But in a region where much of tourism has gone by the wayside to refugee housing, and in an ever-changing Irish landscape, we see the perfect opportunity to bring to the west of Ireland a centre for the Wild Irish Salmon that leads by example. The days of pre-selling timeshares to acquire chic old properties are past, but a working fishing house with a renewed exceptional culinary offering, smokery, fishery and educational experience right on the Wild Atlantic Way, so that even bus tours can be dropped at the front door, would tell the story of the Salmon of Knowledge, and its value as a tourism, cultural, and sporting commodity.
We have an experienced management team and a clear roadmap, and we need a partner who agrees with our vision to become Ireland's first registered charity dedicated to the Wild Irish Salmon. While such charities exist in the UK, Canada, and France, Ireland has been wedged out of this critical connection between public education, private interests, and State management. If you're that partner, or if you want to donate to our crowd funding campaign towards a future stay, please email info@keepsalmonwild.org.