A local Aontú representative is calling on the Government to purchase Dowth Hall,near Slane, and the surrounding 552-acre estate.
The Georgian property has been placed on the market by its current owners Devenish after the Belfast-based food research company carried out a restructuring of its operations.
Aontú’s Peter Whelan told Meath Live, ‘Because of its location close to the better known Newgrange site there is six thousand years of history on the site, I understand archaeologists have unearthed many historical monuments and the whole place could be developed as a valuable asset to the state.
‘It would be a shame to see it slip out of Irish ownership and I really feel the state should step up to the plate and buy it.’
In July 2018, it was revealed that during restoration and renovations of the house and terraced gardens, archaeologists discovered that it had been constructed directly over a 5,500 year-old megalithic passage tomb.
Following an archaeological sampling and dig as part of a larger piece of work to monitor ongoing works on the property, two small passage tombs near the back of the house were unearthed while to the front of the house the largest henge ever discovered in Ireland was unearthed.
