51-acre residential farm for auction

Coming up for public auction on Thursday, October 24, at the Munster Arms Hotel in Bandon is a 51-acre residential farm in West Cork, close to the village of Enniskeane.

This area offers good quality land not too far from important towns such as Bandon (20km away), Macroom (15km to the north) and Cork City itself, which is 40km to the east.

According to selling agent Damien Murray of Bandon-based Paddy Murray Auctioneers, the holding may be split into different lots. There is an impressive degree of road frontage with the land so that it lends itself very well to sub-division.

The decision on what lots will be offered on the day of the auction will be arrived at according to how interest that develops over the intervening weeks.

“We haven’t fully decided on the lots yet,” says Damien. “One of the possible lot divisions would be the land on its own and then the house on approximately two and a quarter acres and the ten or 15 acres north of the road.”

The land quality overall is good, according to the selling agents, with most of it having been maintained to a high standard in recent times.

“This is an executor sale,” says Damien.

The family are selling it. The land was let out over the last number of years to a neighbouring farmer and they’ve helped to keep it and maintain it in good condition. Probably about 20 to 25 acres of it have been re-seeded.

"All in all, you’d have about 40 good acres, with another 10 acres north of the road that would be a little wet and boggy.”

This latter section is drained by the River Bride, that bounds it on the northern extremity, and would have good potential to be brought up to a standard similar to the bulk of the lands.

The farmhouse is of the traditional type and is, according to the agents, in poor condition, as things stand. It would need substantial refurbishment to bring it up to good, modern living standards but the structure is intact, so it would not entail seeking planning permission.

There aren’t any entitlements with the property, which is 3km east of the village of Coppeen. The price guide is in the region of €500,000 (€9,800/acre).