Located approximately 12km from Maynooth on the Maynooth to Donadea road and in the heart of Kildare stud country, Loughtown stud is everything a stud farmer would need upon purchase.

Steeped in tradition, the stud reached its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, having been renowned in the bloodstock industry at the time. Notable horses that the stud has catered for during its peak include Ragusa, the Irish Derby winner, Archive, sire of Arkle, Red God and Raise you Ten.

Despite this tradition, however, in recent years, operations have been significantly scaled back and some very minor renovations need to be made. Having said that, the farm has been excellently maintained by the full-time farmer who works there.

The property is up for sale in three lots, the third lot being the entire. Lot one comprises of the residence, the yard area and circa 80 acres. Lot two consists of a yard area and circa 91 acres.

Residential property

There are two residences on the holding as well as a vast array of well-equipped stud facilities.

The main residence is a single-storey ranch-style house presented in superb condition. With style and imagination, the house has a Spanish inspiration, stemming from the owner’s roots.

The house extends to circa 2000sq ft and although it only has two bedrooms, it could easily be reconfigured to provide more. It is surrounded by attractive manicured lawns.

The other residence is a beautiful cut-stone two-storey house, extending to circa 2200sq ft. It has all the charm of a period house and comprises spacious family accommodation with four bedrooms. It’s in need of some renovation and upgrading. There are two further one- and two-bed staff apartments in the yard, along with the three-bed gate lodge at the back gate of the property.

The yards

The three yards comprise the main yard close to the manager’s house, the new yard both in lot one, and the yard in lot two with an American barn (12 boxes).

In total, facilities include 54 horse boxes, three stallion boxes and a foaling areas. The farm also contains an outdoor silica sand arena, which is in need of minor renovation. A horse walker, a lunging ring, a covering ring, vets unit, office, hay and machinery sheds make up the balance of building on this magnificently laid out stud farm.

The land

The land itself is flat and fertile, a pivotal feature in any quality stud farm. It is laid out in 20 divisions ranging from stallion paddocks and nursery paddocks to summer grazing paddocks. The grassland at the stud farm is well maintained and is grazed by cattle and horses. The comprehensive fencing network is also well kept.

There is extensive road frontage on the property, while the lots are located just across a small country road from each other.

The area is also tranquil and quiet, which is an added bonus. One very appealing feature on the property are the magnificent mature trees, some over a hundred years old.

The price tag

The price is guided at €3.5m for the entire. The property is currently owned by a Spanish businessman with an interest in the equine industry but he is based in Spain.

The auctioneer handling the sale is Phillip Byrne of Coonan properties. According to Phillip, ready-to-use stud farms like this one do not come to the market all that often and good interest has been shown in the property.

Loughtown stud is up for public auction on Tuesday 24 October in Carton House, Maynooth. CL

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