Search

06 Sept 2025

Richest Irish billionaire's Laois mansion announces open day

Stripe co-founder's lavish estate will again open to the public this summer

Richest Irish billionaire's Laois mansion announces open day

Photo of the 2023 airshow at Abbeyleix House and Farm, by Randal Howlett

A Laois mansion that is home to the richest Irish billionaire has announced it will again open to the public for a day this summer.

Since he bought Abbey Leix demesne in 2021 John Collison, co-founder of tech company Stripe with his Limerick brother Patrick, has been carrying out a raft of restorations to the estate.

However he has carried on the tradition of a summer open day for charity by previous owners, adding his own pilot's touch with an extravagant and breathtaking airshow, and adding on a Christmas open day too, see photos here.

The Abbeyleix House and Farm as it is now called has announced the day this summer when the gates will once again open, and the planes are returning for their loop the loops.

See last summer's open day in pictures by Alf Harvey here.

Open day at Abbeyleix House and Farm. Photo: Alf Harvey

"Mark Your Calendars. Our much-loved Annual Family Day returns on Sunday, June 29.

"Expect a fantastic day filled with craft and food stalls, entertainment for all ages, and the highlight of the event—a spectacular air show.

"Calling all craft vendors! If you’re interested in taking part, please reach out to Alice at alice@abbeyleixhouseandfarm.ie to secure your spot. Tickets will be available soon—stay tuned for updates.

"All proceeds from the event will go to charity, making this a day of fun for a great cause. Don’t miss out on another unforgettable Family Day at Abbeyleix House & Farm," they say.

The Collison brothers aged 33 and 35 are Ireland's richest billionaires, worth over €10 billion each.

John Collison has also bought and is restoring Millbrook Manor on the edge of Abbeyleix House, engaging Michelin star winning chef Cuán Greene to oversee the opening of a top quality restaurant there. Read that story here.

To continue reading this article,
please subscribe and support local journalism!


Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles.

Subscribe

To continue reading this article for FREE,
please kindly register and/or log in.


Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news!

Register / Login

Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.

Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.