Milk this for all it’s worth
He’s not far wrong — with milk prices in the ascendant, and demand for good quality farmland on the up, dairy farms are the hottest thing on the property market.
Some 180 acres of rolling pasture and a milk quota of just under 100,000 gallons make up this north Cork farm. It also has a range of outbuildings, but is non-residential.
That wouldn’t matter for a dairy farmer moving in because the farm is on the development boundary of Kilbrin village, and even has mains sewage at the road — which could enable housing development on the roadside lands in the medium term. Road frontage is rather limited with the way the farm is structured but would allow development without upsetting the normal running of an agricultural enterprise.
As the name suggests, the farm occupies part of the Castlecor House estate in an historic area of north Cork. This region was the hegemony of the McCarthy Mor clan until 1691, when Colonel Charles McCarthy, a sheriff of Cork, took himself and his regiment into exile in France.
It’s easy to see why this area has a long, and often bloody, history — in most cases it comes down to the land, which could be described as among the best in the country.
Suitable for beef, tillage or dairy, the Castlecor farm is a modern dairy unit, with a 14-unit milking parlour, automatic feeders and a range of sheds.
The right-hand boundary of the land has a separate beef unit with slatted sheds, and the dairy unit is close to the village boundary. Internally, the farm has a number of solid roadways, and is laid out in large, well-fenced divisions.
The land is dry and has a long grazing period, thanks to its south-facing aspect and gentle slopes. It’s possible to access all areas from inside the property, and there’s only a little “waste” in the farm — a small copse of mature woodland which offers shelter on the eastern side.
Located between Kanturk and Liscarroll, the farm is very accessible to Mallow. Kanturk is less than 10 minutes away, and nearby Kilbrin has lots of amenities.
The sale is by private treaty through John O’Connell and Son Auctioneers and James O’Brien of OBM Consultants. Both agents refused to give a reserve or guide price for this private treaty sale.
However, based on an average price for land without milk quota in smaller sales, a guide price of €25,000 per acre may be in order, which would give an overall price of €4.5 million for the Castlecor Demesne sale.
With a bullish land market and a bearish residential property market, this farm sale should generate a lot of interest, and not just within Co Cork. The Duhallow area is also close to Kerry and Limerick, or a buyer could come from Tipperary.
Castlecor’s top quality limestone soil would also make it suitable for horses.
* Tim O’Connell is also involved in the sale of the 8.5-acre Kanturk Mart premises in the town centre.
A new site has already been earmarked for the business on the Mallow Road. The mart co-op is about to apply for planning permission for its new, larger premises, which should be ready next year, according to Mr O’Connell.
The existing mart site will be used until the new sales ground is ready.
Its sale is expected to make almost €10 million, a handy windfall for shareholders.
As a prime town centre development site, it could be suitable for a shopping centre. Last year, Tesco was turned down for planning in the town, and Lidl is still looking to build an outlet on the Banteer Road.
