Residential north Kerry holding ideal for starter farmers

UNLIKE most regions on the western seaboard, north Kerry has a thriving dairy sector and is of course home to the Kerry Group, one of the most successful food companies in the world. The global player began its life in Listowel.

The northern reaches of the Kingdom are also renowned for the literary progeny they produced. Listed among its luminaries are Listowel’s John B Keane and Bryan MacMahon, Castleisland’s Con Houlihan and Ballylongford’s Brendan Kenneally

It took good ground to raise such poets, teachers, playwrights and wordsmiths. A 47ac residential farm at Pouleen, Tarbert on the border with Limerick is typical of the traditional holdings in the area and the quality of land. The place is for sale as an entire or in two lots with a guide price of €300,000 for the house and yard on 1.5ac while €500,000 or just over €10,000/ac is the guide for the land.

Located 2.5km from Ballylongford, 7.5km from Tarbert and 14km from Listowel the farm includes a neat bungalow , a well-equipped yard and 47ac of land with road frontage

According to auctioneer Eamonn McQuinn of McQuinn Property Services, the holding is a former dairy farm laid out in about eight fields that are currently under grass and serviced by an internal roadway. Stretching back from the road the holding has good frontage and plenty of access.

There are fine views out over the Shannon Estuary with Carrigafoyle Castle and Lislaughtin Abbey within sight. Carrigafoyle was built in the 1490s by Conor Laith O’Connor.

With its own berthing and mooring dock it could accommodate ships of up to 100 tons and had commanding access to the shipping lanes leading up the Estuary.

During the Geraldine Wars the castle was attacked from land and sea by Sir William Pelham. Bombardment from naval and land-based artillery caused the tower to collapse killing many of the defenders.

Of the combatants who survived the assault, 50 Irish and 19 Spanish, all were massacred once the castle was taken. The ruins stand as they did after the assault.

Livestock

Nearby Lislaughtin Abbey was a Franciscan Friary established by the lord of Kerry, John O’Connor in 1478.

Built on the site of an older Celtic monastery founded by St Lachtin, it remained a thriving monastery until its disestablishment in 1580.

The presence of the monastery is testament to the quality of land in the area, the good monks were known to have one eye on heaven and another on good ground.

The yard on the farm includes a three-column haybarn and a range of outhouses in good condition suitable for livestock accommodation and for the storage of machinery or fodder.

The three-bedroom bungalow is in good condition having been refurbished and modernised in recent years.

The auctioneer is expecting lively local interest.“The land market in that area is traditionally very active,” he said, “the farm might suit a starter farmer or a hobby farmer.”