A newly rebuilt house with planning permission for a bar and restaurant in the centre of Ongar village, west of Clonsilla, Co Dublin, has been bought by a Chinese businessman for €405,000. It stands on a site of 0.73 of a hectare (1.8 acres) and was valued at over €2 million during the property boom. Jeremy Kelly of agents Kelly Walsh handled the sale.

The original Ongar House was damaged by fire while being restored and the planners subsequently allowed the remains to be demolished and replaced by a two-storey over basement house in the same style and appearance as the original footprint.

The council also approved a plan to extend the house to bring the overall size up to 1,172 sq m (12,621 sq ft). Part of the reason for the sharp fall in value is due to the discovery of pyrite in the ground floor which will cost around €200,000 to rectify.