When I heard the address Rockvale House, Castletownroche, Co Cork, I knew it rang a distinct bell with me. One of the reasons it sounded so familiar was that I remember walking almost every inch of it with former owner, George Buckley.

Such was the comprehensive nature of the viewing, coupled with the superb hospitality of the owners, that a mere five hours later I was only getting into my car to go home. Apart from the lengthy viewing, I remember it to be one of the nicest farms I had walked that year, which was September 2007. From memory, it was a property that had been extremely well nurtured over the years, formerly home to an award-winning dairy herd.

That was eight years ago. Today, Rockvale still retains its wonderful sense of character with its various pockets of fabulous ash, oak, beech and horse chestnut trees, coupled with its excellent quality limestone land. But the man who bought it eight years ago didn’t lie down. He has added a lot of value to what was already a beautiful farm.

In the past number of years, there has been a complete overhaul of the residence and the farmyard. A substantial investment has been made to the two-storey residence in terms of new wiring and plumbing, a new foundation, plastering, décor and fittings. Farm buildings were either upgraded or rebuilt and all the internal fencing was replaced by a professional fencing company. No short measures were taken – an ethos that has clearly continued from the Buckley days.

The current owner has decided to put the entire package on the market. Such is the calibre of the property that a number of offers have already been forwarded despite it only officially going to the market in the past fortnight. Perhaps those who had a genuine interest eight years ago may raise their head again and get an opportunity to buy.

Back then, it came with a price tag in the region of €4m. Today, the present owner is genuine about selling and is realistic about his expectations. Anthony O’Regan from Keane Mahony Smith Auctioneers, Grand Parade, Cork is handling the sale by private treaty and already has four bidders in the race.

Apart from the two-storey residence and the extensive range of farm buildings, the sale includes circa 115 acres of top-quality limestone land and a basic farm payment of circa €18,000. The entire package is guided at excess €2.5m. It’s believed that interest is emanating from the bloodstock industry, Northern Ireland, the Goldenvale region and, in particular, from dairy farmers.

Enclosed on two sides by a stone wall, Rockvale has the makings of a lovely country estate. Complete with three-quarters of a mile of road frontage, the property is accessed from a partial tree-lined avenue that cuts through its own land, leading to the house and yard.

The residence is a traditional two-storey house that has been completely overhauled. Features include a bespoke fitted kitchen, hickory and oak floors, a handmade mahogany staircase, pine panelled ceilings, double-glazed windows and doors, and new plumbing and wiring. Accommodation includes three reception rooms, kitchen, utility, family bathroom and four bedrooms.

Outside in the yard, the owner replaced a number of older sheds with modern slatted sheds while also reroofing and upgrading others sheds, where necessary. Today, there is an extensive range of buildings on offer that include three loose-bedded sheds with lean-tos, three slatted sheds (one newly built), two open silage pits, workshop and a disused milking parlour.

There is also newly built handling facilities, machinery shed, two isolation pens, haybarn, feed house, slurry pit and a 12-tonne feed bin.

Set out in one 115-acre block, the farm is laid out in a range of fields and paddocks that are accessed from a central farm roadway. Once home to a dairy herd, the land has been used to fatten beef cattle over the past eight years and features a strip of circa eight acres of hardwood trees that run along the Awbeg river.

Apart from the river, water is also available from a mains line, which, based on a long standing arrangement with the Co Council, is supplied free of charge. No stone has been left unturned – gates are hanging, drains are clean and hedges are cut. It’s a turn-key property for any discerning buyer.

Located 10 miles from both Mallow and Fermoy, Rockvale has all the ingredients to make for an interesting sale over the next number of weeks.