Business brisk at auction
The estate agent had two Co Kilkenny farms for auction – one of 33 acres, with a farmhouse, and another of 152 acres – and they drew a big crowd.
“There was very good interest. There was a huge crowd and it all came out on the day. There were plenty of bidders and good brisk bidding,” said Ed Donohoe.
The two-storey farmhouse and outbuildings on 33 acres at Ballinamona, Clifden, Co Kilkenny, were offered in two lots and made €550,000 in bidding, well in excess of the advised minimum value of €400,000. The main bulk of the property, the house and 22 acres, made €474,000 and ten acres of land, some of which was on the heavy side, made €76,000.
The more significant sale was that of Rathbourne, Co Kilkenny, a 152-acre property which also sold in two lots. The main house and 130 acres were sold for €1.25 million and the remaining 22 acres made €320,000 – the equivalent of €15,000 per acre. “It was good ground in a superb location so it’s no surprise it sold so well,” said Mr Donohoe.
The purchasers were a local business man, who bought the Ballinamona house and lands, and adjoining farmers who purchased the rest of the lots. CPO money received by local farmers helped explain the positive outcomes, and the size and quality of the farms – Rathbourne in particular – drew interest from inside and outside the county, said Mr Donohoe.
Those who came to see the bidding took heart from the swiftness and positivity of the auction, he said.
“If they hadn’t sold, nothing would be selling and it’s a great boost to see that – there’s still money out there.”
Next month, the same agent will dispose of a 69-acre sheep and suckler farm at Dunroe, Borris, which includes an unusual residence.
The property, which was probably once part of the McMorrough Kavanagh estate, according to Donohoe, has an unusual, neo-Gothic wing.
The building could have been a barracks at one stage, said Mr Donohoe, and was built of granite in the 1840s, with a range of courtyard buildings in the same material. The round tower houses a spiral staircase that gives access to two bedrooms on the upper level, with a sitting room, dining room and kitchen on the ground floor.
The land is located at the foot of Mount Leinster, and is good quality grazing ground, but some 17 acres are on the heavy side, said Mr Donoghue.
He’s offering the property in a choice of lots including the farmhouse and 18 acres at €180,000, 22 acres of roadside land at €160,000 to €180,000, and a further 28 acres of land at €160,000 to €180,000. The auction will take place on Friday, May 14 at the Step House Hotel in Borris, Co Carlow.
