Michael Flatley just couldn’t part with his beautiful Cork estate

Michael Flatley got an offer that was too good to refuse, but when it came time to close the deal Michael Flatley couldn’t part with his beloved Castlehyde estate in Fermoy, Co. Cork.

The once-grand Castlehyde was in total disrepair when Michael Flatley bought it in 2001 for €3 million.  He poured many millions more into renovations and created a spectacular home for himself and his family, but as he was spending most of his time in London he put it up for sale a few years ago.

It’s been on and off the market since, but now it’s off for good as Michael dumped his London abode and instead will base himself in Cork and Monaco.

"Castlehyde was for sale. The price was dropped and, in the end, I pulled it from the market," Flatley told the Sunday World.

"Then, out of nowhere, I got an offer and it was better than I had ever hoped for.  The next thing the contract came through and I looked at my wife Niamh and son and I realized I just couldn't do it.

"I think I am too emotionally attached to Castlehyde. I just cannot leave Cork.  My wife and I just love it too much.

"We liquidated our properties in the U.K. so we are living in Monte Carlo and Cork.”

Michael and Niamh had a fabulous wedding at Castlehyde in 2006.  And his beloved dad Michael Senior loved spending time in the estate when he visited from Chicago, so it’s not surprising that he nixed the sale.

To help spread a bit of holiday cheer in this grim 2020, Michael is working with an Irish charity batting homelessness, Depaul, to raise some money with what he’s calling #FlatleysTapForTen.  He’s asking people to make donations and post social media videos of themselves dancing or having fun for 10 seconds.

"I travel a lot around the world and I see homeless people everywhere I go," he said of his involvement. "It's just heartbreaking. I was in Cork one day in the rain and the cold and as I was running to my car I saw this older woman settling down in a doorway with two suitcases, and pulling plastic over herself to shield from the rain.

"I thought, 'Good God almighty this is horrific.' It wasn't just that lady, there were homeless people everywhere.

"If there's a way we can all pull together we can at least make a difference for some people."