123-acre residential Co Tipperary farm for auction
The auction date is in early June, but interest has already been building in a large residential holding of some note that will go under the hammer with auctioneers Matthew Ryan & Son of Tipperary town.
The property in question is a 123-acre farm in the townland of Lisnagaul, near Bansha in Co Tipperary.
According to selling agent Matt Ryan, the sale of the well-known holding is an executor sale, and it is being sold in one or two lots.
“We’re selling it on behalf of the estate of the late Ina O’Brien,” says Matt, who adds that the O’Briens moved from Co Cork to this part of South Tipperary in 1978.
“They milked cows there until 1996,” says Matt, “and then they leased the farm after that.
“This is a fine block of ground. It’s on the road from Bansha back to Lisvernane, it’s about 5km from Bansha.
It’s divided by the roadway, so you have the house, farmyard and about 24.5 acres, and the balance of the land is directly across the road from the house
In terms of aesthetics, this part of the world has a lot going for it as it’s in the famously scenic Glen of Aherlow, but there is some very good quality land here as well.
“It is a decent piece of ground all right.
“Some of it has been re-seeded, over time.
“The last owner grew beet on it, he grew barley on it. Apart from cows, he used to graze sheep on it as well. It’s all in grass at the moment.”
This mixture is in keeping with the variety of farming in the area, which is dominated by a mixture of dairying and dry cattle.
Matt would see most of the interest in this property coming from the dairying sector: “I would think so,” he says. “It’s a good big block of land. The division by the roadway isn’t overly intrusive on it, and it’s still a very workable farm, as it has been over the years.”
The house is an extended two-bedroom farmhouse with plenty of character, with a sheltered mature garden to the front and an enclosed yard to the rear. The accommodation extends to 1,500sq ft and includes an entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, four bedrooms, a bathroom, utility room and a shower room.
“This was a family home,” says Matt, “where seven children were brought up. There’s a nice enclosed yard out the back with beautiful views towards the Galtee Mountains.”
There is a good range of outbuildings in the yard (which has its own independent access from the public road) that include a four-bay hay barn with two lean-to cubicle sheds, a three-bay cubicle shed, a two-bay lean-to shed, stone built stables and a silage apron.
“They’re old,” says Matt. “They would have to be modified somewhat. There’s no shortage of facilities here, but they just would need to be modernised.”
While the land is in good condition overall, there are some parts of it that will temper the average per acre value: “The land across the road does rise, to bound the forestry at the upper end. All of that land has been raised, and silage has been cut off it, but we would expect that if it gets into the range of between €9,000 and €10,000 per acre, the owners will be satisfied.”
The selling agents expect a strong turnout at the auction on Wednesday, June 5, in the Aherlow House Hotel.
