Hi °C | Lo °C THE question of 'Who Bought Bartra?' was finally answered a couple of weeks ago when the mystery purchaser of the gracious eight-bedroom, 1840s mansion overlooking Dalkey bay, sold by Gavin O'Reilly for €3m, was revealed to be Colm Delves, group chief executive officer of Digicel.
Delves, based in the company's HQ in Jamaica, can be expected to know a thing or two about island life (which should come in handy given that Dalkey Island is almost on his doorstep. Well, shorestep), but locals are busy wondering when he will actually take up residence.
Gavin's former wife, Alison Doody, recently moved out with her two daughters, and since then village speculation has gone into overdrive. The really big question is, how will he respond to the great Dalkey concern du jour – the granting of a foreshore licence for exploratory oil drilling in the bay, meaning an oil-rig just 6km from the coast, something that was recently condemned by Ali Hewson. A recent public meeting saw gallerist Sarah Owens and businessman Sean Melly, as well as Bartra's closest neighbour John Stephenson, join some 600 other concerned locals in a battle that just might become a cause celebrity.
