Young couple secure Wexford holding in bidding marathon

A 91ac RESIDENTIAL farm at Blackwater, between Enniscorthy and Wexford, sold under the hammer last week making €1.42m — €420,000 more than its guide price and more than €15,600/ac.

A local young farming couple won the day and are looking forward to consolidating their suckler farming operation with their new acquisition.

Located in Knockanevin, the holding is 12km from Enniscorthy and 2km from Blackwater via Castle Ellis Cross. It includes an old farmhouse unoccupied for a number of years, and set in an old farmyard with a range of dated buildings.

Frank McGuinness of selling agents Sherry FitzGerald O’Leary Kinsella describes the land as good ground suitable for a mix of grazing and tillage.

Laid out in up to 15 fields of varying sizes, the holding is fenced with hedgerow and divided by a road, giving plenty of road frontage.

The auction – in a packed room at the Riverside Park Hotel in Enniscorthy – took off when the entire was introduced.

Two bidders took to the field, a local farmer and auctioneer David Quinn acting for the couple. After a marathon 45 bids, the hammer fell at €1.42m and Mr Quinn won the day for the young local couple.

The new owner, a 34-year old suckler farmer and his wife, a teacher, explained that they had sold land to facilitate the purchase of this particular property.

They were delighted with the result, describing the farm as a great piece of ground with plenty of potential.

Frank McGuinness was equally delighted with the way the auction went and with the price paid. “It did a bit better than we expected,” he said.