To celebrate St. Patty’s Day, we have put together a shamrock-studded tribute to homes owned by our favorite Irish celebrities, socialites and—to pay homage to a St. Patty’s Day beverage of choice—notable beer tycoons.
Beer Maven’s Missouri Mansion
The home of August Anheuser Busch IV—renowned party boy and former CEO of Anheuser-Busch breweries—is located in Huntleigh, Mo., a wealthy suburb of St. Louis. Busch IV is the great-great-grandson of Anheuser-Busch founder Adolphus Busch, and the son of former Chairman, President and CEO August Busch III. Busch IV served as CEO of Anheuser-Busch prior to its acquisition by InBev in 2008.
Busch’s estate is located at 2032 South Lindbergh Boulevard and sits on four-and-a-half wooded acres. The 16-room mansion spans 6,300 square feet and is located a mere 15 miles west of Anheuser-Busch headquarters. Massive iron gates guard the driveway, and a colossal six-columned portico adorns the front of the home.
San Francisco Home for Sale, Wedding Gift from Coors Founder
As of November 2011, the historical San Francisco residence of Louise “Lulu” Coors, daughter of Coors Brewing Company Founder Adolph Coors, hit the market with an asking price of $15 million. The asking price has since been reduced to $12 million (at press time).
The home was commissioned as a wedding gift from the beer maven to his daughter in 1903, although the newlyweds—Lulu and husband Dr. Henry Berent Albert Kugeler—did not move into the finished property until 1910. Located at 3636 Washington Street, the home was built by well-known San Franciscan architect T. Paterson Ross.
The home was sold in 1916 for $60,000, and has since housed a myriad of diverse residents; it has been the location of a private school and the International Institute for the Translation of Buddhist Texts.
The property is currently owned by Brook Byers, a senior partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Featuring eight bedrooms, six full bathrooms and covering an expanse just shy of 10,000 square feet, the property offers ample views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay.
Bye Bye, Bond. Pierce Brosnan Sells Mediterranean-Style Malibu Property
Well-known Irish actor Pierce Brosnan finally sold his Malibu home, which he put on the market in June 2010. The gated Mediterranean home was first listed for $3.9 million, and includes three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms and 3,800 square feet of luxurious living space. The asking price was later reduced to $2.6 million.
Brosnan purchased the home in 1996 for $600,000. The home features ocean and mountain views, with several balconies and fireplaces spread throughout the home. Glass walls, arched windows and doors, massive wood beams accentuated by lofty ceilings and wide-plank oak flooring create a fresh, open feel.
Malibu natives need not worry about losing a celebrity; the James Bond star hasn’t moved far. Brosnan and his wife, Keely Shaye Smith, moved into a new Malibu home nearby, which they had custom-built while waiting for their old digs to sell.
Los Feliz Living for Colin Farrell
“Being Irish is very much a part of who I am…I take it everywhere with me,” states well-known actor Colin Farrell. The Dublin native has taken his Irish roots all the way to California, where he lives in a lavish four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom home, which he purchased in 2004 for $4.3 million.
The former home of British actor Tim Curry, Farrell’s swanky pad is located in the prestigious Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz. The noted bad-boy’s 1920 Spanish-style home features panoramic city views of the California hills, as well as luxurious detailing like a climate-controlled wine cellar, an outdoor kitchen and spa.
Farrell—famous for break-out roles in “Tigerland,” “American Outlaws” and “Phone Booth”—purchased an additional home in 2010 for ex-girlfriend Alicja Bachleda, the mother of their son, Henry. Farrell bought the 736-square-foot Tudor-style Hollywood Hills home for $1.2 million.
Liam Neeson Sells City Pad, Keeps Country Estate
Born in Northern Ireland, Liam Neeson is best known for his work in “Schindler’s List” and “Star Wars Episode I: the Phantom Menace.” In 1997, he was ranked at number 69 on Empire magazine’s 100 greatest movie stars of all time—no small feat for the former Irish Youth Boxing Champion. Before breaking into the motion pictures, Neeson further extended his Irish roots by taking a job as a forklift operator for Guinness.
Neeson currently resides in an expansive 37-acre estate, located just outside of Millbrook, N.Y. The “Kinsey” star purchased the property in 1994, just before he married the late English actress Natasha Richardson. Well known for her roles in “Nell,” “The Parent Trap” and “Asylum,” Richardson died in March 2008 due to head injuries incurred while skiing.
Neeson’s expansive 6,116-square-foot estate was built in 1890. The property includes a swimming pool, courtyard, tennis court, and has a reported current value of $3,708,000. In August 2004, Neeson and Richardson purchased an additional 16 acres next to the existing estate.
However, the lavish country home was not always Neeson’s only New York residence. In 2009, Neeson sold his New York City apartment for $1.35 million. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom Central Park West pad was only on the market for five days before closing. The 2,300-square-foot corner apartment sold for slightly less than the listing price of $1.375 million. Neeson and Richardson bought the apartment for $1.4 million in 1994, the same year they purchased their Millbrook estate.
Maureen O’Hara’s Former Home Now a Romantic Getaway
Do you remember Irish actress and singer Maureen O’Hara? The famous redhead—who was named Irish America magazine’s “Irish American of the Year” back in 2005—was well known for her role in the 1939 production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and the 1941 Academy Award-winning production “How Green Was My Valley.”
In 2001, O’Hara put her home in the U.S. Virgin Islands up for sale. The hilltop villa, located in St. Croix, was built for O’Hara in 1968 by her aviator husband Charles Blair.
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home features sweeping romantic architecture, including rounded walls, curving staircases and beam ceilings. A 12-foot pool and stunning patio adorn the back of the home. Designed by John McDonald—a world renowned pupil of Frank Lloyd Wright—the house was often visited by Hollywood silver screen stars and hotshots including Lucille Ball and John Wayne.
In 1989, the villa was largely destroyed by Hurricane Hugo, after which O’Hara had it rebuilt to its original state. O’Hara sold the property in 2001, and it was resold in 2007 to the current owner.
Those interested in checking out the Irish beauty’s late home will be happy to note that the current owner has since turned the once private property into a vacation destination. The minimum required stay for guests is one week, with rates ranging from $3,500 to $6,000 per week. Now called the Sky Hawk Villa, the property features unreal ocean views overlooking Christiansted, Protestant Cay and Buck Island.
In 2011, the year she turned 91, O’Hara was formally inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame. The actress currently owns homes in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Glengarriff, County Cork, Ireland.
