127-Acre former organic Golden Vale Farm for Auction

Dairy farmers are feeling flusher than they have for some time, and there should be a good number of them chomping at the bit to acquire all or some of this farm in the townland of Ballybrenogue near the village of Cullen.

“We’d be certainly hoping so,” says selling agent Matt Ryan of Tipperary-based auctioneers Matthew Ryan & Son, who describes this farm as an “exceptional property” with lands of “excellent” quality. “It’s rarely that a block of that size comes up for auction, so it has had a good level of interest so far.”

It comprises a solid two-storey farmhouse and extensive outbuildings on a property that is divided into two lots by the public road.

An internal roadway system allows access to its 25 paddocks: “The main part of the farm is more-or-less L-shaped and there’s a central roadway running through the spine of that.”

The residence is a stone-built traditional structure.

According to the agents, it is in need of complete refurbishment. It comprises an entrance hall, three reception rooms, a bathroom and four bedrooms. “It’s very much a bachelor’s house and there was a fire in it a few years ago, so it’s very much in need of refurbishment.”

The impressive array of outbuildings includes a 14-unit herringbone milking parlour, four covered silage pits (each measuring 60’ x 25’), four cubicle sheds (measuring 60’ x 22’), eight calving boxes, bull pen, calf house (60’ x 25’), a three-column barn, a four-column machinery shed with lean-to, three stone outbuildings, and a 170,000-gallon slurry tower.

“The outbuildings are usable and date back to the late 1970s. With a bit of expenditure, you could adapt them to more modern use.”

It is the land, however, that is the real beef in this offering. It is being offered in Lot 1, consisting of the residence, farmyard and 104.95 acres; Lot 2, consisting of 22.68 acres; and Lot 3, consisting of the entire holding.

“It’s good Golden Vale limestone land,” says Matt, who points out that this is pasture farmland first and foremost. “Even though there was kale grown on part of it over time, it wouldn’t be a good tillage farm, per se. It is good fattening ground suitable for dairying or for cattle, it would be excellent for that.”

There is an excellent supply of water on the farm, with the combination of private well and mains supplies feeding the larger Lot 1, and the smaller Lot 2 respectively.

“There’s a looped water system in the main farm from the private well.”

The farm comes with entitlements that come to approximately €250 per hectare, according to the agents. Further details are available from them for any interested parties.

The price guide is quoted by the agents at “between €9,000 and €10,000 per acre.” Given recent results (such as the sale by auction of a 140-acre farm near Cashel last month for over €13,000/acre), this may prove to be rather a conservative expectation. The fact that it’s a former organic holding returning to commercial dairy farming may have some bearing, however. All will be revealed on the day.