Sale marks end of an era
The Franciscan community who founded ‘Multy’ built up a substantial holding of 750 acres and opened a college there in 1899 which became an agricultural training college in 1956.
Many who are still farming have passed through the hands of the friars, from all parts of the country, so there will be a sense of loss at the news that the last part of the Franciscan holding is to be auctioned off on July 19.
The Multyfarnham Agricultural College, to give it its full title, closed in 2003 on foot of the Teagasc-funded Kennedy report.
The new college which housed the training school was converted to a nursing home and part of the farmland was put on the market in 2004.
The Tristernagh farm, with 283 acres of quality grazing land was sold in 2004 for around €3 million through Paul Murtagh of Murtagh Brothers, who is also now handling the sale of the remaining 404 acres of the estate.
This will be auctioned on July 19 in the Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar.
This property is sure to bring in buyers from around the country, not only because it’s a well known model farm, but also because its one of the few large, land sales this year.
The farm is being sold in lots and will have an appeal across a broad sector of the business. The major portion of the holding, some 219 acres is going to create a big stir in the dairy industry, particularly as the farm is well known to a lot of dairy farmers, many of whom may have trained here.
This is the real sale of all the lots and commands a pre-auction guide of €4 million — no small beer.
However, because it comes with a modern dairy and quota of 115,000 gallons, it’s going to appeal to farmers with their own quota looking for a ready to go operation.
The 219 acres come with some of the best land on the farm, and is going to appeal to dairymen countrywide. A development windfall would fund this property nicely, says Paul Murtagh, and could be a top class operation with extra quota.
The grassland is laid out in paddocks, with a central farm roadway and it has extensive frontage close to the village of Multyfarnham.
The second largest of the four lots on offer is the 167-acre suckler farm which has frontage onto Lake Derravarragh, a name well-known to every school child from the Children of Lir story. This is heavy enough ground, but provides good summer grazing. It also comes with good road frontage and is well-fenced: it has a guide of €700,000.
The remaining lot is an 18-acre outlying holding which would be suitable as a hobby farm, particularly as the location is so close to Dublin. The land here has panoramic views and may have development potential for a dwelling, says Mr Murtagh. He gives a guide of €400,000 for this lot, lot three. The farm comes with a comprehensive range of farm buildings with separate beef and dairy yards.
