Rare property for sale on the Burren

A substantial piece of ground in the Burren, Co Clare, is always going to precipitate a double-take and the residential holding in the townland of Glenslade near the village of Carron is likely to attract a wide variety of farmers and dreamers in equal measure.

Selling agents Vaughan Hannon describe the land as “typical Burren landscape”, so the Golden Vale it is not.

“It would be rough winter grazing with some summer grazing on it,” says agent Laurence Hannon, “with around 15-20 acres of what would have been classed as ‘meadows’.”

However, this is an area of remarkable beauty and popularity and the new owners are as likely to be organic farmers as local expanding farmers or even hobby farmers.

The local Burren Life organisation provides a grant system for farmers in the Burren, encouraging diversity and progress in farming in the special area of conservation.

“It would be rare for something of this size to come on the market, especially with a residence,” says Laurence of the holding, 6.5km from Ballyvaughan, 26km from Ennis.

The property comes with some useful outbuildings including storage house and hay shed. The dwelling, meanwhile, is in some need of modernisation and refurbishment, although it does have a new roof. Current entitlements are worth just under é9,000/year.

The water supply is of the harvested kind but it features what the agents describe as an excellent supply system running throughout the farm.

Valuation of this property remains a difficult task given the lack of anything else in the area similar to this unique package, but the strong level of interest so far indicates that this package will be revealed in its true value at the public auction on Friday, May 15, at 3pm at the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis. Advised minimum value is €500,000.