Landmark Kildare buildings and site on the market for €650,000

The Leinster Leader premises at South Main Street, Naas, which for decades was the home of the newspaper carrying the same name as well as an extensive printing operation accommodating the newspaper, books, magazines, periodicals and leaflets, is up for sale.

The premises is vacant as is the adjacent house, which once served as the residence for the owning company’s managing director.

It’s understood that the Leinster Leader building is still owned by at least some of the shareholders who sold a stable of regional newspapers, including the Leader, for €138.6m.

The deal was made in 2005 not long before the financial health of newspapers across the globe began to decline. The buyer was Johnston Press, which by the end of 2018, had debts exceeding £200m sterling.

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A Kildare County Council notice affixed to the building door is titled “compulsory acquisition of land” and states that KCC is considering acquiring the property through a compulsory purchase order. A KCC spokesperson said the purpose of the notice is to generate contact from the owners and it has not "commenced the formal compulsory purchase process for this property or the neighbouring property (the house)."

John McStay, a director of Clylim Properties Limited, which owns the property, told the Leader there is no ongoing CPO process in relation to it.

The premises, including the house, occupies 0.4 acres and will go for sale by public auction on November 24 at 3pm in the Hotel Keadeen, Newbridge. It has a guide price of €650,000.