A Dublin businessperson has bought a super 114-acre farm in Knockadreet near Ashford in north Co Wicklow.

The farm has been on the market since the autumn of 2017 by private treaty, having failed to sell at auction in September of that year.

Auctioneer David Quinn of Quinn Property confirmed to Irish Country Living that the deal closed before Christmas, having been sale agreed since last spring.

The identity of the buyer has not been disclosed but he is believed to be a partner in a well-known property company based in the capital.

The selling price also remained undisclosed, though it is believed to have been sold somewhere around the guide of €1.3m.

The farm was offered in lots but eventually sold in the entire.

The farm

The farm itself is a stunning property and is comprehensive in terms of the acreage and buildings offered in the package.

It is all in one block and is presented in permanent pasture.

The previous owner, a beef and sheep farmer, used the land for grazing and has maintained it to a very high standard. It is a fertile, dry holding.

Up to 90% of the farm has been fenced with sheep wire and barbed wire in the last few years and there is an extensive shelter belt provided by hedgerows around the perimeter of certain fields.

The land is located next to the farmyard, buildings and residence.

The farmyard and buildings

The farmyard is easily accessed, with two entrances connecting the property with the main road.

The main entrance contains an electric gate for security and the 500m avenue from the road to the farmyard is excellently maintained.

In the centre of the farmyard is an 18-bay slatted shed.

Constructed a decade ago, this shed has a 21ft passageway which makes it ideal for machinery such as a diet feeder.

The shed is capable of housing up to 200 strong cattle or 300 weanlings.

Rubber mats are fitted throughout the pens also.

There is a 16-tonne meal bin with a built-in auger which is capable of facilitating a diet feeder. In addition, there is a large pen area with the ability to facilitate 50 cattle.

There are numerous other sheds for storage as well as walled silage pits.

the farmyard area is very open and can easily facilitate the use of large machinery.

A residence is also included in the package.

The two-bed house has not been used in recent times and is in need of renovation. It could also make a suitable site for a replacement home, subject to the relevant planning permission.

Business interest

Businesspeople have been prominent in the land market in 2018 and this farm at Knockadreet is another example of this.