Thanks to Brexit, the Irish countryside is more popular than ever

New York

THREE years ago, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian spent their honeymoon at Castlemartyr Hotel and Resort, a palatial 17th-century manor house built around 13th-century Norman castle ruins. In September 2015, the five-star, 89-hectare estate set in the quiet countryside outside Cork, Ireland, was bought by British hotelier Martin Shaw for US$16 million.

Since the purchase, Mr Shaw has doubled down on his investment, refurbishing everything from the premier golf course to the world-class spa. But the resort is benefiting from Brexit more than from any glamour afforded by a celebrity duo.

Since the 2008 recession, nearly a dozen heritage properties such as Castlemartyr have been scooped up and targeted for face-lifts throughout Ireland. The legendary Ashford Castle sold for US$23 million to the Red Carnation Hotels group in 2013; Waterford Castle, with its Rapunzel towers, sold for US$7 million in 2015 to Australia- based investor Seamus Walsh; and …