Billionaire British inventor James Dyson linked with multi-million purchase of lavish Waterford estate

Ballynatray House was sold in one of Ireland's biggest ever private property deals - with the historic house and 850 acres of rich farmland fetching a reported €35m.

The identity of the purchaser has not been disclosed but local speculation has linked the deal with the 76 year old inventor and staunch Brexit backer.

Dyson, who is reported to be worth over €10bn by Forbes, is already one of the largest landowners in the UK.

He controls over 30,000 acres across the UK - ranking him alongside the Dukes of Devonshire and Westminster in terms of property value holdings.

The inventor also boasts luxury homes in the Far East, France and the Caribbean.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - February 27th

In 1999 he bought Domaine des Rabelles, a winery and vineyard near Var in France.

As well as owning a lavish property in Chelsea in London, he also owns Dodington Park, a Georgian estate in Gloucestershire.

He made headlines several years ago when it emerged that he had splashed out on one of the largest superyachts built in the past decade.

The vessel, 'Nahlin', has an overall length of 91 metres and is ranked 36th most luxurious of all superyachts afloat.

Dyson also owns two Gulfstream private jets and an Augusta-Westland helicopter.

Ballynatray was offered for sale by Henry Gwyn-Jones.

It is an 18th Century Georgian house with stunning views over the River Blackwater.

It was granted to the Smyth family in the 17th Century and was subsequently owned by the Earl of Mount Cashel, Horace Holroyd-Smyth, the Ponsonby family and then Serge and Henriette Boissevain who sold it to Mr Gwyn-Jones.

The house is nestled in a natural amphitheatre and boasts stunning views over the river and rolling farmland.

It has been lavishly refurbished over recent years and has served as a luxury wedding venue capable of handling up to 120 guests.

The British businessman more than doubled his return on the estate which he bought in 2003 for €11m.

A native of Norfolk, Dyson began marketing his inventions while still studying at the Royal College of Art.

He made his fortune with his dogged advocacy of cyclonic separation as a key component of a modern vacuum cleaner system.

His design was ignored by many leading vacuum cleaner manufacturers - but when he produced his own version it became the fastest selling vacuum cleaner in UK history.

Dyson vacuums later became the leading brand sold in the United States by value.

Since then, the British inventor has branched into hygiene products and beauty accessories including hair dryers and styling brushes.

While an early advocate of the Eurozone, he later became one of the most prominent British businessmen supporting Brexit before the 2016 referendum.

His increasingly strident criticism of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the British tax regime has led to him being ranked by the 'News Statesman' as the 35th most influential person on the British right wing.

The inventor is also a noted philanthropist and set up the James Dyson Foundation to support education with the foundation subsequently donating €14m to Imperial College London to purchase a landmark new building.