276 acres of alluvial pasture on offer at Glencastle
Within 30 years, however, he was gone, and Prince Charles II was restored to the English throne — and around this time, 1676 to be exact, Glencastle House was built.
Constructed by Ian Francis Everett, on the site of an older castle, the house is as good today as it was when built — probably better.
The name and the date of construction still remain embedded in the walls of this warm and well-maintained family home. The land for which the Old English fought the Roundheads in Ireland is still highly prized rich alluvial pasture.
Glencastle House’s 276 acres on the bank of the Suir are some of the finest in the county, and in the south of Ireland, says John Shelley of Shelly Purcell, joint agent in the sale with agricultural consultant Richard Collins of Collins O’Meara.
The Suir bounds the full length of the acreage, and the fishing rights could be worth up to €400,000, says Collins — which could show a return of up to 10% from letting.
The land is level, rich tillage and pasture ground that runs gently towards the river, with some 30 acres in a mix of deciduous and softwood planting. There is an annual premium payment attached to the forestry, which is on the Kilsheelan side of the property, overlooking Kilsheelan Castle.
You can drive this farm in a standard vehicle; it’s reassuring that the ground holds its own so close to the river. It never floods, say the vendors. The old house is right on the river bank; you can literally hang a fishing rod out of the window. The property last changed hands in the mid-’50s, it was a dairy farm up to the late ’70s, when the enterprise shifted to tillage and drystock.
Glencastle Farm has been let out for the last couple of seasons, but with a sale contemplated, no conacre agreement has been entered into this year. Full and vacant possession is guaranteed, says Collins. He says the farm would revert quite easily to a dairy enterprise again, when EU milk quotas are abolished in 2015.
The renown of this farm isn’t lost on heavy-hitting buyers. Before it officially went on the market, the land was walked by a potential buyer last week. The auction of the property on March 31 will be a major talking point, with farms of this size and quality rare on the market.
This is a “walk-in” purchase with a well-maintained yard, including a large, slatted cubicle house (up to 450 stores were kept here) as part of a big courtyard of buildings, all kept in good condition. A fragment of castle wall still forms part of a small outhouse, and high walls shield the courtyard from the house.
The five-bedroom residence is a two-storey with addition, and has a modern, shaker maple kitchen with wood-burning stove, a formal dining room, a very impressive, formal drawing room — and views across the river.
There are three bedrooms on the upper level and, in the annex, there are two more bedrooms, in need of attention. The thickness of the walls and the plaque on the wall are the only obvious indication of the great age of this dwelling.
The property will go to auction on Thursday, March 31 in the Minella Hotel in Clonmel, and it is being sold in the entire, with a guide price of €3.25 million.
