While last year land supply in Wexford increased by 50%, the number of larger farms (over 200 acres) offered in the county is usually low. In 2017 just one farm over this acreage was offered, while interestingly seven farms over 100 acres came to the market.

In 2018 just two farms over 100 acres went onto the market. The second of these is the excellent 199-acre residential property located at Kilgibben, Bree, near Enniscorthy.

This excellent-quality tillage farm is being sold via public auction at the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy, on 30 August, at 3pm.

An almost 200-acre holding at Kilgobbon, Bree, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, has hit the market in the last number of weeks.

The property

This holding is the second tillage farm of substantial acreage to come to the market in the last two weeks in the sunny southeast. Last week, Irish Country Living reported on a fine 126-acre tillage holding in Carlow that is being offered by auctioneer Pat Gannon of Kilkenny.

The property at Kilgibbon, Bree, is a bigger farm than the former. Consisting of 199 acres in total, the property also contains a five-bed period residence, a spacious courtyard and a number of outbuildings.

As you drive towards the farm, one of the noticeable features of the surrounding countryside is the fine Wexford land that greets you.

As you enter the holding, the approaching driveway is circa 400m and is sheltered by trees either side. Privacy is one of the great features of this offering.

It is on this approach you get a sense of the quality of land on the farm. To your left are two of the total 18 paddocks. These are presented in tillage. The fields are large, with well-defined boundaries and are clearly well maintained. You get the sense you are in well-renowned tillage country.

As you sweep around to the right at the end of the driveway, towards the centre of the property, the courtyard stands in front.

You drive in through a narrow gap and this is where you get your first glimpse of the house. Commanding all of 3,000 sq ft, it is situated beside the impressive courtyard.

An almost 200-acre holding at Kilgobbon, Bree, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, has hit the market in the last number of weeks.

The house

The residence is a traditional period home. Standing three storeys high, it has been lived in until recent years, but is in need of modernisation.

Described by the auctioneers handling the sale as “graceful, yet distinctive”, the house contains five principal bedrooms.

Spacious and well-lit, the residence contains an entrance hallway, a nicely sized kitchen, a dining room, a sunroom, two utility rooms and a study.

Built in 1790 by the Letts family, the house has been in the ownership of the Latta family since 1954.

The sale of the farm is on the direction of the executors for the estate of the late Francis Latta. The family is a well-respected and renowned agricultural family in the county.

The courtyard

As you step outside the house, you enter the courtyard. This contains circa 20 boxes, with a number of these lofted. These are in need of modernisation, but with some investment they could be ideal for other agricultural or equine uses.

An almost 200-acre holding at Kilgobbon, Bree, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, has hit the market in the last number of weeks.

The land

Of the 199 acres, circa 160 acres are of top quality. Laid out in one block, the acreage is in suitably sized division. Of the total, over half is in tillage, with some 50 acres in grassland. There is some waste that fronts onto the River Slaney. Circa 20 acres is woodland.

Lots

The holding is being offered in three lots. The first of these is the period residence, courtyard and outbuildings along with 134 acres. The second lot is circa 65 acres of land, while the third and final lot is the entire. The guide on the entire is €1.65m, or almost €8,300/ac. Considering both the quality of the farm and that the average price of land in Wexford is almost €11,000/ac, this seems a reasonable guide, granted there is some waste and woodland on the farm.

An almost 200-acre holding at Kilgobbon, Bree, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, has hit the market in the last number of weeks.

Perfect for dairy

The compact nature of the farm would make it very suitable for dairying, but in truth it could facilitate just about any agricultural enterprise. The auctioneer handling the sale, Frank McGuinness of Sherry Fitzgerald O’Leary Kinsella, agrees with this analysis.

Auctions in Wexford

A total of 10 successful land auctions have taken place in Wexford in 2018. And 90% of these have sold under the hammer, which is a very impressive statistic. McGuinness will be hoping for more of the same when the holding is up for grabs on 30 August at the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy.