Strong bidding sees compact Mayo farm beat its guide price
A COMPACT 63.5ac residential farm at Garranard near Crossmolina, Co Mayo, sold at auction last week, making €437,000 or €37,000 over its guide.
Located just off the N59, the farm is within walking distance of Crossmolina, 15 minutes’ drive from Ballina and close to Lough Conn.
Made up mainly of grazing ground with a number of acres in scrubland, the holding is divided by a local road, giving it up to 1km of road frontage and frontage on to the River Deel.
The dwelling is a two-storey, L-shaped structure originally built in the 1920s with an extension to the rear. Structurally sound, the house could do with substantial modernisation.
The accommodation includes a front porch, an entrance hallway, a sitting room with an open fireplace and some lovely plasterwork on the ceiling, a living room with a modern stove, while to the rear is a kitchen with a tiled floor. The old fittings have been removed and the kitchen area is ready to be kitted out by a new owner.
A large window lights the landing that leads to the upstairs where the family bathroom and four bedrooms are located.
Out of doors is a traditional yard with a range of sheds in reasonable condition. The former owner was a wood turner and much of the equipment and facilities associated with the craft are to be found in a five-column round-roofed shed. The farm buildings proper include a three-column hay shed and lean-to with cubicles. There is also a range of older sheds for fuel and machinery storage.
At auction, under the direction of Karl Fox of Fox and Gallagher, the house and sheds on 1.5ac opened at €120,000 and, with three bidders in the chase, sold for €125,000.
A parcel of elevated ground extending to almost 19ac located around the house was the next portion to be offered for sale. With 400m of road frontage and a similar length of river frontage on to the River Deel, the piece comes with 7.3 entitlements worth €1,746 annually.
This opened at €120,000 and, with three bidders in action, sold for €160,000
Attention then moved to a 16.5ac parcel of grazing ground with about 450m of road frontage.
Rising gently from the road and in good heart with good grazing potential, the piece comes with €1,567 in entitlements.
It opened at €55,000 and with three interested customers, the hammer fell at €120,000.
The final and largest lot to be sold extends to c28ac that includes 13.4ac of bog land, 10ac of turbary rights and 4.5ac of good grassland. The land in question has €382.88 in entitlements. Opening at a modest €20,000, it attracted four bidders and was sold at €32,000.
“Everyone was happy with the result,” Karl Fox said, “the executors, the beneficiaries and the new owners. You cannot ask for much more than that.”