Fans of Hollywood star Will Ferrell will be disappointed but reports that the comic actor has bought a lakeside retreat in Ireland have been dismissed as completely untrue.
Rumours were rife after a clearance auction at a property on the shores of Lough Sheelin in Co Cavan at the weekend in preparation for its hand-over to a new owner.
The house, at Arley near Mount Nugent, is on the site where the holiday home of Lord Farnham of Cavan once stood and its extensive wooded lands, secluded setting and enviable views sparked curiosity locally about who the new occupants might be.
But a source close to the sale said a rumour that Will Ferrell had bought it had got completely out of hand.
“I was asked today if it was true that Tom Cruise had bought the house. Tom Cruise has not bought the house, Will Ferrell has not bought it. I think it was a case of wishful thinking - of people wishing it was Will Ferrell because everybody adores him and would want to have him as a neighbour.”
The rumour may have been fuelled by Ferrell’s publicly declared affection for the region. He has traced his family back to Co Longford, a short distance from Lough Sheelin’s western shores, and has enjoyed holidays in Ireland.
But the source said the buyer was not a public person. “They are not a personality. All I can say is that they are American, they live in California and they were simply looking forward to some rain and some quiet which is very different to the blazing sun they get all the time.
"We can pretty much guarantee them the rain but I’d hate anything to jeopardise their peace and quiet so I'd hate them to think they might have people at their gate hoping to catch sight of a Hollywood star."
