Possible auction route for 61-acre farm near Macroom

A 61-acre Co Cork grassland residential farm near Macroom is very likely to be coming up for auction, according to selling agent Killian Lynch.

The Macroom-based agent has certainly shown good form in terms of public auctions over the last few years, having sold a 49-acre farm nearby in November 2015 for €18,500 per acre.

This particular property won’t be in that category, but the interest in it has been good so far, despite the fact that it’s only just on the market, according to Killian.

“It’s very early days yet but there has been interest locally and from farther afield.”

As things stand, the property is for sale by private treaty, but Killian isn’t ruling out the possibility of it taking the public auction route: “It’s more than likely that it will go to public auction.”

Located in the townland of Toames West, the farm is approximately 5km from the busy market town of Macroom. To the east, Cork city is roughly half an hour’s drive away, and the farm is situated only a few kilometres from the famous water buffalo farm of Johnny Lynch, made famous by a current supermarket advertising campaign.

This particular holding hasn’t yet been converted from the more traditional bovine activity, and the property is of good quality land in the main, according to the selling agents, with potential to be improved upon.

“The quality of the ground is good,” says Killian, “even though it does need some reseeding. It hasn’t been reseeded in a number of years.

“Of the 61 acres, there are 50 to 55 acres that you could cut silage off. The rest would be of mixed quality, between the foliage and the yard and other small portions.”

There is an “excellent” amount of road frontage with the property, with the public road running along its entire curved northern boundary (as well as another road touching part of the land’s western front), allowing for a great degree of access, and making it conducive to splitting into different lots.

Indeed, the property is being presented to the market with a choice of two separate lots, or the overall holding.

Lot 1 consists of 57.5 acres, Lot 2 is the house with outbuildings on 3.5 acres, and Lot 3 comprises the entire holding.

The house is of the charming traditional type — a two-storey home in need of renovation. It is accessed by a long central driveway leading directly from the public road and it comprises a generous 1,500 square feet of living space. Accommodation includes a hall, living room, kitchen, dining room and bedroom on the ground floor, while upstairs there are four more bedrooms and a bathroom.

There’s the standard range of old outbuildings, and there are some entitlements going with the property (further details may be obtained from the selling agents).

There is a good water and electricity supply.

“Considering the location of the house only five minutes off the main Cork-Macroom road and the size of the site with the lawn entrance, it would be of interest to a lot of people in its own right,” says Killian.

The farm has been used most recently for dry cattle, but the property will be of interest to many people looking for a convenient outside farm, or for people closer by who are looking to expand their dairy holdings.

In terms of price, the selling agents are looking for offers in the region of €450,000 for the entire farm, with the smaller lot expected to fetch around €100,000 and the remaining 57.5 acres making €350,000 (€6,000/acre), or possibly more: “I think that the land itself will make between €350,000 and €400,000,” says Killian. Sounds like the auction is already beginning!