Gilligan’s Jessbrook estate for sale by State for €500,000

The lands and show jumping arena owned by notorious drug dealer John Gilligan have been put on sale with an asking price in the region of €500,000.

The property, near Johnstownbridge on the border between Kildare and Meath, is being sold by the Office of Public Works on behalf of the Department of Expenditure and Public reform.

It has been seized for sale following a 16-year battle that cost the State many multiples of the asking price.

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The Jessbrook Equestrian Centre near Johnstownbridge. Photograph: Aidan Crawley / The Irish Times

Gilligan used every appeal mechanism available, causing a delay of well over a decade, during almost all of which time his legal fees were funded by the State.

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter was considering making the centre available for a charitable or public use, though this will not now happen.

The 3,500-seater Jessbrook equestrian arena is the biggest asset in the three lots being offered for sale, though has fallen into a state of disrepair.

Gilligan, who has been in prison since 1996 and is due for release in the coming months, and his wife Geraldine were planning to hold international show jumping competitions at Jessbrook.

However, his gang imploded during the massive Garda investigation targeted at it following the 1996 murder of Veronica Guerin.

Gilligan fled the country after the murder but was extradited back to Ireland. While he was never convicted of the journalist's murder he has been serving a 20-year jail term for cannabis smuggling.

Garda sources said notices of the sale of the property are set to appear in national newspapers tomorrow.

The property is being sold in three lots. Offers will be accepted for each of the three lots and would-be buyers can also make an offer for all of the lands and buildings now being offered for sale.

While the price may climb if a number of parties made incrementally higher offers, Garda sources said the OPW would be satisfied with a price of €500,000 for the asset.

Lot 1 includes 49.55 acres of agricultural land, along with the 5,645 sq metre arena, two stable blocks and administrative building.

Lot 2 is 8.73 acres and Lot 3 is 21.13 acres of what sources described as “grazing land”.

A house immediately beside the Jessbrook Equestrian Centre is still occupied by Geraldine Gilligan and that is not being offered for sale.

The State is still trying to seize that, with the matter currently before the Supreme Court.

The Jessbrook estate was built between November 1993, when Gilligan was released from prison after a sentence for handling stolen property, and the end of 1996, when he was held on remand following the murder of Guerin.

The property and surrounding lands were first frozen by the courts 16 years ago. It increased hugely in value during the boom and crashed again as the recession hit.

The once international standard show jumping arena was used in recent years to store e-voting machines that were acquired by the Fianna Fáil-led coalition but never used.

The Supreme Court last November rejected an appeal by Gilligan’s wife, Geraldine, and his adult children, Treacy and Darren, that sought to block the disposal of the assets.