The €10m farm up for auction in Offaly: 720ac of tillage, 190ac grazing and 180ac of forestry
WITH A price tag of €9m to €10m, the biggest arable farm to go on sale in the country for some time will be sold at public auction in August.
The 1,090ac residential property near Edenderry in Co Offaly has 720ac in tillage, 190ac in grass and 180ac in mature forestry. The sale is handled by Raymond Potterton auctioneers of Navan, who expect interest from farmers, farm syndicates and corporate buyers.
Located at Ballinlagh, 7.5km from Edenderry and 30km from Tullamore, the farm is owned by well-known grain farmer Mark Tong. It has been in his family for generations.
Originally a 370ac holding, it has been built up since the 1930s. Mr Tong is retiring from the business for succession and health reasons.
“My children are not farmers and I had a farm accident a few years ago which means I can’t do as much as I once did,” he said.
The farm is all in one block with its own internal roadway system giving access to all sections.
It produces about 13,000 tons of grain per annum, all of which is dried on site.
The farm facilities include three grain dryers, extensive grain storage, calf rearing and lambing facilities, slurry storage, offices, stables and a tack-room.
The farm is also home to
290 ewes, while the forestry component is mostly made up of Sitka spruce surrounded by a belt of oak.
Estate house
Two residences on the holding include the original estate house dating from 1842, currently under refurbishment, and the main family residence, a 3,000 sq ft, fivebedroom dwelling.
In a state of high fertility, the farm currently hosts a variety of cereal crops and a crop of peas. A tight management system is in place, with precise annual records kept for each field detailing the crops, dates sown and harvested, inputs and the tonnage yielded.
“There is no guesswork on this farm,” Mr Tong said. “Everything is recorded.”
Stephen Barry of Pottertons, says every portion of the land is farmed without an inch of waste.
“In terms of scale and quality it has to be one of the finest farms in the country,” he said.
While the preference is to sell the property as an entire, it may be offered in lots. The auction will be held at Johnstown Estate Hotel, Enfield at 3pm on Tuesday, August 11.