Exceptional tillage farm in Kildare
The land, which includes 50 acres of quarry, is all in one block, has exceptional road frontage, and is very close to Nurney village, which means it ticks a number of boxes for potential buyers.
As can be seen from the aerial photo, this is a large and easy-to-work tillage operation, which is laid out in one clean division, and with the quarrying area confined to one end, it doesn’t get in the way of normal, agricultural activity.
As a ready-to-go buy, the land has drawn considerable local interest, says Paddy Jordan, who expects to see more potential buyers from the south and west, as well as the midlands.
Nurney Demesne includes a period farmhouse residence with courtyard, that will need a good bit of work, but which is not beyond redemption — it’s just been idle for the last three years, says Jordan.
The six-bed house has 4,500 square feet of space, and includes six bedrooms over three floors. The house is also listed as a protected structure in the Kildare county development plan, so any renovations will have to be overseen by planners.
The adjoining courtyard includes a number of old stone buildings, and many of these are derelict. The working farmyard is to the north of the main house and includes a machinery shed, workshop, old converted grain store, a shed with grain drying facilities, a five-span hay barn with concrete base, and a new grain store of 90’ by 60’ with steel cladding and concrete base.
The land is a tillage farmer’s ideal, because it’s basically all in one field, easily accessible from two townlands, Nurney and Kildoon, and has had all boundaries and hedges removed.
The 50 acres are given over to a disused quarry pit with some remaining aggregates on the site, says Paddy Jordan, as well as potentially more sand and gravel deposits on the land. Level, light, with good structure and friability, the soil makeup of this demesne is typical of south Kildare’s reputed tillage areas, says the agent.
The agent is quoting a guide price of €1.8 million prior to auction, an average of just over €6,500 per acre, including the house and yard, which is a very affordable level for a farm of this size. It will be interesting to see how it will be bid up on the day, with nearly three weeks of viewing left. The sale will also test how farmers will view investment in land in light of the current round of proposals for the single farm payment.
