THE Flannelly family this week confirmed that Kill International Equestrian Centre has been sold and wished the new owners the best of luck at the facility. As reported in last weekend’s Sunday Business Post, property developer Ray Grehan is said to have purchased the Kildare centre from US investment bank Goldman Sachs for €2 million.

Established in 1997, the 34-acre property was owned and managed by Fintan Flannelly and his son Denis, and was a regular show venue for many years. However, the facility faced major flooding in 2011 and following a lengthy battle with the insurance company, the business collapsed.

Its loans were taken over by Goldmans Sachs last May and Deloitte was appointed as receiver for the centre. Fintan Flannelly Snr remained on as manager during that time. While no shows have been held in Kill since the flood, the centre continued to provide daily riding facilities and hosts many RDAI (Riding for the Disabled Association Ireland) events. The venue hosted the equestrian events during the 2003 Special Olympics Games, for which it received substantial funding.

Galway-born Grehan is believed to be interested in redeveloping the site to build houses, however the 2011-2017 Kildare County plan, the site is on land zoned for equestrian use (Objective V) and the Council is believed to have little intention of changing the land’s use until at least 2023.