Comedy star Will Ferrell is believed to be the buyer of a lakeside retreat on the shores of Lough Sheelin in Mountnugent.
The Anchorman star has Irish roots and can trace his ancestry back to Co Longford.
It is thought that he has bought Arley, at Crover. The property is a former holiday home which was built by Lord Farnham of Cavan.
Recently it had belonged to an Irish film industry executive but has been sold to a mystery buyer for €700,000.
It is only the second time in 400 years that the property has changed hands through private exchange.
The property includes a house which covers over 5,000 square feet. It features great views over Lough Sheelin.
There is also a boat house which can house two boats. The grounds are well maintained and comprise mainly of mature wood, with a network of paths for hiking.
Ferrell visited Longford with his father and brother in 2008 as they traced their family roots.
He told TV host Jay Leno about spending an evening in Eamon Farrell’s pub.
He said: “We took two weeks to travel around the countryside and stopped in County Longford.
“That’s where all the Farrells are from. We wanted to do some research and we were told to go to Eamon Farrell’s pub, which is a real place. We went there in the afternoon and said hello and said we might stop by later that night.
“Well, we came by and there were literally a thousand people there who all said they were Farrells. I must have taken a hundred photos, and we ended up in some guy’s house at three in the morning, my body shaved.”
Written by Michael Kehoe @michaelcalling
