West Cork land market heats up as buyers move quickly to close deals
It’s a seller’s market as demand for rural properties outstrips demand, reports
Glounaglough at Rylane near Macroom in Co Cork is surely a first cousin of the more famous Glendalough in Wicklow and perhaps also refers to a glen with two lakes.
Macroom auctioneer Killian Lynch is currently handling the sale of a 43.2ac residential farm in Glounaglough and is guiding the sale at €400,000.
Located 20 minutes from Macroom and 35 minutes from Cork city, the holding comes with a bungalow residence and a range of outbuildings on land bisected by a local road.
The gently sloping ground is currently under pasture and comes with extensive frontage on to the road that divides the holding into two sections. A 27ac piece includes the house and buildings, while a 16.3ac portion across the road is without buildings.
The 27ac parcel is laid out in about 15 fields fenced with traditional hedgerow and sheltered by some fine stands of trees.
The 16.3ac contains five fields of decent grazing ground with two fields to the rear in rough grazing.
This section also has good road frontage, though not at all as extensive as the larger parcel. The land has been rented for a number of years.
The dwelling house is a three-bedroom bungalow extending to about 1,000 sq ft with accommodation that includes a hallway, living room, dining room, kitchen, three bedrooms and a bathroom.
The outbuildings, located to the rear of the residence, include a semi-derelict farmhouse along with a number of useful sheds and a two-storey grain store.
The property can be bought in its entirety or in lots and should attract keen local interest in what is a progressive farming area.
Ballyvourney farm
Mr Lynch is also handling the sale of a 57ac residential farm at Liscarrigane, Ballyvourney. The house and lands are on the private treaty market with a guide price of €250,000.
Located 20 minutes’ drive west of Macroom, the property is 10 minutes from Ballyvourney, 25 minutes from Killarney and 40 minutes from Cork.
The land is in one long rectangular block, about half of which is in good grazing and the rest in rougher ground. The place has extensive road frontage and would be ideal for a hobby farmer.
The old farmhouse extending to 600 sq. ft needs complete renovation.
The accommodation includes a living room, kitchen and two bedrooms while basic services include a gravity water supply, septic tank and electricity.
Out of doors the yard comprises a two-column haybarn and a variety of stone buildings in various states of repair. These could be brought back to use with some attention.
While the refurbishment of the farmstead will be a substantial project for any new owner, properties like this are very much in demand since the onset of the pandemic.
With location no longer a major obstacle for those who can work remotely, Mr Lynch is expecting lively interest from near and far.
Rapid sale
The vibrancy of the rural property market is exemplified by the sale of a two-storey house and farm at Ballymakeera, Ballyvourney which came on the market on March 1 and was sold to a local buyer by March 30 for €555,000.
The 2,200 sq ft residence built in 2013 includes four bedrooms, kitchen, living room, office, sunroom and dining room, plus a garage.
Accessed via a long tarmacadam driveway, the house is surrounded by 28.5ac of land all in one block and comprising 15ac under pasture with the remaining in rough grazing.
The house is in immaculate condition throughout and located in a quiet rural setting, while the lands bound the Sullane River to the rear and are serviced by an internal roadway.