Irish estate with link to Henry Ford now for sale

An  127-hectare estate with a nine-hole golf course in Ireland that was once home to industrialist Henry Ford’s ancestors is on the market for $6.6 million.

Lisselan Estate features a French chateau-style mansion designed by Lewis Vuillamy for pastoralist William Bence-Jones that was built in the 1850s. 

The 998sqm house features a grand entrance hall, 10 bedrooms, a large conservatory, library, card room, dining room, drawing room, gun room, snooker room, servants quarters, wine cellar, laundry room, and six bathrooms.

The home’s design centres around the library which was created in 1907 from two adjoining rooms including part of the original entrance hall.

There are also several separate buildings including the pear tree cottage, garage, office and gatehouse.

The mansion’s fairytale-esque design can be seen in the round tower. Picture: Ireland Sotheby’s International Realty

The extensive gardens include a fuschia garden, azalea garden, an orchard, shrubbery, bamboo garden, water garden, ponds, rhododendron garden, tennis court, golf course and several walking tracks set among the surrounding woodlands.

The property also includes areas to fish for trout and salmon, Sky News Real Estate’s Prue Miller reports.

The estate includes productive farmland and car inventor Henry Ford’s ancestors were at one time tenants on one of the farms attached to the estate.

Henry Ford With His Model T. Picture: Getty Images

Ford’s ancestors left behind the 12-hectare farm leased from the estate in the late 1840s when they emigrated to the US.

Ford made a name for himself with the Model T which was released in 1908 and quickly became the first affordable car to be mass-produced with moving assembly lines and interchangeable parts. In 1927 Ford watched as the 15 millionth Model T came off the production line. 

Once Ford has made his fortune in 1912 he visited the area and attempted to buy the farm but the owners then demanded a higher price which he refused to pay.

He took a hearthstone from the farm with him as a keepsake.

The large conservatory was built for the 1902 International Exhibition. Picture: Ireland Sotheby’s International Realty

In the nearby village of Ballinascarthy there’s a stainless steel replica of the Model T to mark the Ford connection to the area.
Resource:realestate.com.au