Described as “one of the nicest properties to come on the market in the area for some time”, Ballycogley Castle, Ballycogley, Co Wexford sold under the hammer last week for €950,000.

During the build up to the auction, selling agent John Keane from Wexford received a steady level of interest people from local and distant farmers, as well as inquiries from Dublin and the UK. The property, which comes with the remains of Ballycogley Castle, is only 20 minutes from the ferry in Rosslare and stands on 77 acres of good quality farmland.

A large crowd turned up to the Talbot Hotel, Wexford for the auction where John took an opening bid of €700,000. With the help of three bidders, the sale price jumped past the €800,000 guide price to €850,000, at which stage Ballycogley was declared on the market. Not stopping there, it took another €100,000 to finally see the hammer drop to a man from Co Wexford. The underbidders included a farmer and a businessman with farming interests.

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Given the buoyant demand for land in Co Wexford, the selling agent reports that he has a number of customers eagerly looking for similar type properties in the county.

Approached by a stone walled tree-lined avenue, Ballycogley is a property that is not only steeped in history, but also features dual-purpose land, a refurbished two-storey over basement Georgian residence, and a restored courtyard.

The current owners bought Ballycogley about 20 years ago and went about refurbishing the two-storey period residence. This included a new roof, new wiring and new plumbing. Today, the residence is presented for sale in cosy warm condition and comes with a range of features that include beamed ceilings, an olde world fireplace, cornicing and shuttered windows. Almost all the glass in the house has been preserved.

Residential accommodation includes three reception rooms, kitchen, utility, five bedrooms two bathrooms with a further three rooms suitable for conversion in the basement.

At the side of the house, there is an arch that leads to the attractive lofted courtyard, which was also restored by the owners while the farmyard features a range of traditional buildings. There is also a semi-derelict lodge and a modern garage on the property.

Set out in one 77-acre block, the farm, which has been rented out to a local farmer for a number of years, has been maintained to a high standard. With the exception of a few paddocks around the house, the land is laid out in good sized fields, is currently in stubble and the boundaries have been neatly trimmed. Ballycogley was guided in the region of €700,000 to €800,000.