A substantial non-residential hill farm at Derrintin, Co Mayo, has just been put on the market.

Listed with Westport-based O'Malley Properties and for sale by private treaty, the farm will be familiar to sheep farmers as it was leased from the O’Toole family for 20 years by Teagasc and used as a demonstration farm for hill sheep production.

Purchased by husband and wife Michael and Kathleen O'Toole, they developed the farm and established a breeding flock on it before leasing it out in the 1990s to the State advisory service.

All the lands are in one block and it consists of 52ac of green land with the balance, approximately 635ac consisting of mountain land.

The Erriff River flows along the southern boundary of the property.

The farm is well-fenced both internally and on it's external boundary.

An extensive network of gravel roadways provides excellent internal access across the holding and the lands are adequately fenced throughout.

Land type on the farm varies from mountain to lowland areas of good grazing.

There is a four-bay double-sided slatted sheep unit with accommodation for 250 sheep located on the farm.

The land also benefits from a water supply and the Erriff River, which is renowned for its salmon fishing flows along the property’s southern boundary. Fishing rights for this river are owned by the State.

This is an exceptionally well set up and maintained farm it includes a four-bay double-sided slatted sheep unit with accommodation for 250 sheep. Complimenting this there is a silage base, sheep penning and dipping facilities. There is also a storage shed with toilet facilities.

There is a solid silage base located close to the slatted shed.

An excellent series of internal farm tracks give good access to the land.

Close to the N59 road, this farm is 9km northeast of Leenane, 23km from Westport and 43km from Clifden. While listed as non-residential, there is a derelict ruin of a dwelling house on the land and this may be suitable for reconstruction, subject to the granting of the appropriate planning permission.

The farm was developed by the O'Toole family after they purchased it in 1973 before it was leased to Teagasc in the early 1990s.

The sheds are centrally located on the farm and there is sheep penning and dipping facilities located close to the storage shed.

The sheep handling facilities and storage shed are well placed on the centre of the farm allowing for ease of management.

Auctioneer, Brendan O’Malley said: “A portion of the lands contains extensive sand deposits which, following testing in the 1990s, were deemed suitable for use on football pitches. Any future extraction would be subject to renewed testing and the granting of planning permission.”

Offers in excess of €1.2m are expected for this farm.