Businessman secures 151-acre Co Roscommon farm at €1.04m

Over 200 people packed into the Hillside Tavern, Granlahan, for the auction of a 151-acre fattening farm at Moigh Upper, Cloonfad, Ballyhaunis, Co Roscommon, last week.

Described by the selling agent Gerry Coffey, Williamstown, as “one of the finest in the west”, the property came with a cottage residence, some traditional outbuildings and 151 acres of prime fattening land. Over the course of the selling campaign, Moigh Upper generated widespread interest including from Northern Ireland, the Midlands, Cork, Limerick and Mayo.

On the day, intense bidding saw the property sell in its entirety for €1,040,000 (almost €6,900/acre) at auction last week.

Before the packed room, Gerry kicked things off with the lots. After the initial round of bidding, the first lot of circa 75 acres was bid to €405,000; a 19.3-acre parcel went to €165,000 while the remaining 57 acres peaked at €255,000. This gave a combined total of €825,000. With that, the entire opened at €830,000 and went to €890,000.

On a number of occasions, Gerry went back and forth to the lots but each time the entire outperformed the combination of the lots.

In the latter stages, the lots arrived at €1,030,000 but this was topped by another €10,000 to €1,040,000 for the entire. Gerry proceeded to declare the entire on the market at €1.04m, and with no further movement the hammer came down at €1.04m in trust to a solicitor who was believed to be acting for a well-known west of Ireland businessman and farmer.

Among the other bidders was another solicitor acting in trust, an auctioneer thought to be acting for a Mayo-based dairy farmer, as well as farmers from Co Tyrone, Leitrim and Laois. There was also local bidders present.

Moigh Upper was certainly one of the biggest farms to be offered for sale in the Ballyhaunis region in recent years and is one of seven farms comprising 100 acres or more that have already been brought to the open market in Co Roscommon so far this year. CL