The Irish Independent

The Government has purchased Farmleigh, the magnificent former Dublin residence of the Guinness family, for £23m on behalf of the State. After weeks of speculation about the sale of the mansion, its 78 acres of pasture, parkland and lakes, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern last night announced the deal which will see the Victorian mansion on the edge of the Phoenix Park become a residence for visiting heads of State and a venue for international meetings, important State functions and used for cultural purposes. Farmleigh has been home to many great social events since it was built in 1881 for Edward Guinness, First Earl of Iveagh of the great brewery dynasty.