Not very often does a fully functioning dairy farm come to market in prime agricultural territory such as this. For this reason, such properties don’t stay on the market for very long.

This dairy farm in Tullineasky East, just outside of Clonakilty, ticks all the boxes if you are a dairy farmer willing to invest.

Ideal location

The location of the farm is ideal. Based 5km from both Clonakilty and Roscarbery, it is situated on the main N71 road, which provides for extensive road frontage.

The property is laid out in two divisions, all in close proximity. In total, the holding comprises of 121 acres of high-quality grazing grassland and a further five acres of forestry. This forestry is well established, having been planted back in the early 2000s, and is isolated at the north end of the holding.

The farmyard itself is as practical as it is modern. There are two slatted sheds. The first is a 10-bay shed and the second is an eight-bay shed. Both are kitted out with a total of 126 cubicles overall, complemented by automatic scrappers which reduce the farmer’s workload.

At the end of the eight-bay shed there’s a 14-unit Dairymaster milking parlour. Modern and fully functioning, the close proximity of the parlour to the sheds reduces the workload at milking.

This shed also contains an electronic sculling gate at the back of the parlour and at the end of the shed.

The farmyard

The farmyard is spacious and practical. It is centrally located on the farm and contains two silage pits, a hay barn, a workshop and a calving house with existing calving pens.

It also facilitates an outdoor slurry tank. By all accounts, this dairy farm is ready for use. All the basics are fully operational and modern. The farmyard has an efficient water supply provided by a private well, which has never been found wanting.

The farm has been leased out for the previous number of years, with the yard area and residential properties leased separately. Both have been maintained excellently.

There is a comprehensive internal farm roadway system, perfect for dairying, as well as a well-maintained fencing network. This prime agricultural land is also, for the large part, south-facing.

The residence

The first of the two residential properties on the farm is a traditional four-bed farm house that is ready for use. It is well maintained, having been occupied in recent times, and contains four bathrooms and a modern kitchen area.

The second is a single-story two-bed property, traditionally used as a farm manager residence. Both are modern and located in the farmyard area, which maximises practicality.

Quality land

The land itself is known to be of high quality. John Hodnett of Hodnett Forde in Clonakilty, who is handling the sale alongside with agent Christy Buckely of Buckley Farm Sales Ballinahassig, told Irish Country Living that the ground around the area is known to facilitate a long season of grass growth.

On first viewing, given the weather conditions around the country and the strength of the grass cover when I viewed it, this is hard to argue.

The landscape around this area is also very aesthetically pleasing, which is a bonus. With dairy the cocktail of choice at the moment, any ambitious farmer willing to invest may well be throwing their eye on this particular holding.

The price

The guided price is expected to be between €1.75m to €2m. While this may be substantial, it is more than fair. The land, facilities and location are all of the highest quality. The sale is by private treaty.