Barret's king of the Castle

A Galway City businessman has bought Ashford Castle for a sum believed to be in the region of €50 million. The 13th century castle in Cong, Co. Mayo has been acquired by Gerry Barrett of Edward Holdings, who intends to expand his Monogram brand of hotels, which includes the g in Wellpark and the Meyrick Hotel on Eyre Square.A spokesperson for Edward Holdings confirmed to the Galway City Tribune that the company had bought the Castle and the surrounding 350 acres but that it would be February before they would be taking possession.It is more than likely that the castle itself, where world leaders such as Tony Blair and Ronald Reagan, and Hollywood stars like Woody Allen and Pierce Brosnan have stayed, will be refurbished but it is not yet decided if or how the rest of the estate will be developed. The castle is also associated with the making of the Hollywood classic movie, The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.The spokesperson stressed that…..