A luxury Irish hotel made famous in the classic John Wayne movie "The Quiet Man" went on sale on Wednesday for half the price paid for it five years ago.
Ashford Castle, a five-star hotel on 365 acres (148 hectares) of land on the west coast, is on the market for 25 million euros ($32.46 million) -- 25 million euros less than property developer Gerry Barrett paid for it in 2007.
The Irish hotel sector -- which expanded heavily during the "Celtic Tiger" boom years -- was badly affected by the downturn in the Irish and global economies. Property prices in Ireland have collapsed in recent years.
Last year, Ashford Castle, by the shores of Lough Corrib in County Mayo, was placed in receivership but estate agents Savills said it continues to trade successfully. The 13th century castle -- once owned by the Guinness family -- has played host to a range of dignitaries and celebrities, including former US president Ronald Reagan and the future British king, George V, in 1906.
It was also the wedding reception venue of former James Bond actor, Pierce Brosnan in 2001. Most famously, the castle featured as the backdrop to John Ford's 1952 Hollywood blockbuster,
"The Quiet Man", starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. "It's got an amazing heritage from the 13th century right up until when it became a hotel in 1939," Savills' Tom Barrett told AFP.
From the 1970s it has developed into one of the world's top hotels and it has performed and stayed there ever since.
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