Tipp top ground for €7,500/ac

THE SUN was high in a blue sky when I met auctioneer Joe Coogan in Kilkenny last week. I sat into his very fine motor and it took us south into enemy territory, Tipperary.

The goal of our visit was a 102ac grass farm at Grangemockler, 14km from Carrickon-Suir, 20km from Clonmel and 29km from Kilkenny City. The holding is for sale by auction without any buildings and the guide price is €765,000 or €7,500/ac.

Katie Dunne, a daughter of the owner meets us to walk the land. She tells us that, according to historical records, the Dunne family has farmed lands here at Coolarkin, Grangemockler Co Tipperary since the 1640s. The property has been rented for the last number of years.

The clouds have gathered over Slievenamon as we begin our walk through the fields. Katie knows every sod, every gap and every hedgerow. The land rises gently from the road with the upper fields being as dry as a board while some of the lower portions are softer.

Our guide shows us where some of the drainage done by her father had given way under the weight of modern machinery but two streams running through the holding should be well able to take the run-off if the drain structure is revived.

Joe Coogan reminds us that the entire farm was under tillage in the 1980s and he believes it could be ploughed again. Katie rhymes off the names of the fields as we cross them and shows us the places where they played as children.

The clouds are ominous on Slievenamon as we make our way through the large “pier” field, across the ‘bumpy’ field and on to the “top” fields. It is raining steadily when we reach this elevated portion but the ground is dry and firm.

The farm is laid out in about 10 fields with the boundaries formed by traditional hedgerow.

The original farmhouse, the yards and about 15ac are being maintained by the vendors with access for the new owner through an existing farmgate and about 100m of road frontage. The auctioneer believes there would be site potential subject to planning.

All in all this is a fine grass farm with tillage potential.

A few bags of manure wouldn’t go astray, but a quick look at the green sward of pasture on farms at either side gives an indication of the potential of this piece of ground.

It will be sold at auction at Ballycomey House, Castlecomer at 3pm on Friday March 24.