This land is located deep in rich tillage country and was surrounded by golden fields of barley and wheat when the Irish Country Living visited last week.

The farm is located at Heynestown, Dundalk, Co Louth, and is conveniently located just off the M1 motorway, close to Dundalk.

The farm is currently all in pasture with a suckler and beef operation run on the farm by the previous owner. The farmhouse and the lands were the family home of the recently deceased owner for almost 80 years, having been purchased in 1941.

Great pride has been taken in the holding with the land in excellent condition. None of the hedges encroach on to the land, having been obviously regularly tended to. The land is extremely dry and would be suitable for any enterprise, be it tillage, sheep, beef or equestrian. It is too small to develop a standalone milking block, but it could perhaps suit a local dairy farmer in need of an outblock for silage production and rearing youngstock.

The farm offers the potential for somebody to begin a beef operation straight away with ample housing facilities also in place on the farm. The home block is serviced by a stream which runs through the farm, while the entire property is also served by mains water supply.

Fragmentation an issue

Fragmentation means that the property will be offered in the entire or in four separate lots, which is sure to stir interest among local farmers near these parcels.

Lot one consists of the farmhouse, the adjoining yard and buildings on circa 41.8 acres. A hard-core roadway runs through the majority of this land. Adjoining the farmyard, the parcel is laid out in six divisions and while the fields are predominantly large, a paddock grazing system could easily be installed.

The farmyard consists of an array of buildings. The majority of the sheds that provide accommodation for cattle are dry-bedded with a three-bay slatted shed also present.

There is space available for a couple of hundred head of stock, according to Michael Lavelle, the auctioneer handling the sale. Among the storage sheds present is a large six-span round-roofed hay shed. In total there is approximately 1,900 sq metres of roofed sheds on the farm.

The second lot consists of circa 20 acres located less than 400m west from the main holding. This parcel is laid out in three divisions and has approximately 230m of road frontage. Again, it is excellent quality land, typical of the area.

Lot three consists of circa 8.7 acres and is located 350 metres east of the main block. Only separated by the M1 motorway. This parcel of land is currently sporting a fine cover of after grass. It is zoned for Employment Mixed Use, to provide for employment and supporting uses in the future.

The fourth lot consists of circa 6.5 acres of land. Accessed via a right of way, this parcel is further away from the main holding than the previous two lots. It has been predominantly used for silage production in the past due to its location and may appeal to a neighbouring farmer.

Four-bedroom farmhouse

The house itself is a four-bedroom two-storey farmhouse measuring 170 sq metres. It is in excellent condition. However, it would require some modernisation and offers somewhat of a blank canvas for any interested buyers with large bedrooms and family rooms present throughout. Oil-fired central heating warms the residence with an Aga cooker also present.

To the rear of the residence is a concrete courtyard surrounded on three sides by original cut-stone out offices/stables, which total approximately 315 sq metres. While formerly used for agricultural purposes, in more recent times they have been used for storage.

Auction

The land is being offered at a guide price of €15,000/acre with the house costing an additional €300,000, bringing the potential investment to over €1.45m. A substantial investment, no doubt.

In 2016, Louth was ranked as the most expensive county in which to purchase land, rising 20% on the previous year to reach €12,463/acre, according to the Irish Farmers Journal Land Price Report 2016. Of the 33 farms offered last year, only four of these sold under the hammer at auction. Interest has already been shown on the entire property from local businessmen. However, the power of a local farmer cannot be dismissed when smaller parcels come to the table, providing the unique opportunity for a farmer to easily expand.

The lands will go for auction on Wednesday 2 August at 3pm in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk.

Michael Lavelle Estate Agents, Dundalk, is handling the sale. CL