All bases covered at €1.1m farm in west Kerry
A west Kerry farm on the market for €1.1m includes strong tillage ground, a tidy parcel of forestry and a block of land with SAC designation,
It is rare, if not novel, to find a farm that includes the best of tillage ground, mountain land, grazing, forestry and marsh land.
A 236ac non-residential holding at Killiney, Castlegregory in Co Kerry has all of that. It is on the market by private treaty with a guide price of €1.1m.
Castlegregory is a seaside village on the northern shores of the Dingle Peninsula, 25km west of Tralee.
A popular seaside resort, the beach is protected by the sandy Maharees peninsula separating Brandon Bay to the west from Tralee Bay.
The farm at Killiney, a short stroll from Castlegregory, runs down to the shores of Lough Gill, a 345ac shallow freshwater lake that is a metre in depth at its deepest.
The holding comes with a yard comprising a range of dated sheds that could have farming or commercial potential.
Selling agent Eamonn McQuinn of McQuinn Property Services describes the place as a unique holding that should attract a range of customers in the forestry and tillage sectors.
It should also be of interest to those looking to exploit the income to be derived from managing environmentally sensitive lands.
The land block is split into three land parcels divided by two public roads. The sections are very distinct and combine to make up this unique holding.
On the southern end of the property a 64ac portion contains the forestry, where up to 47ac are in Sitka spruce.
The trees have one year of premium payments left, realising €9,381 per annum. Internal forest roads give access to all parts of the plantation and, according to the auctioneer, creative thinking could turn this part of the property into something very special at a manageable cost.
The tillage land makes up the centre section of the property Extending to 66ac it has some outstanding, free-draining arable land with road frontage on three sides.
Sandy soil
The land-type would be known in Irish as ‘machair’, a word used to describe sandy soil on level ground near the seashore.
Currently leased to a tillage farmer, the ground is home to a range of vegetable crops including potatoes and carrots. Along with the yards, this section was at the centre of an extensive dairy enterprise.
Included in the 66ac is a c15ac forestry plot planted in a mix of Alder and Sitka has seven years premia left.
The 100ac at the northern side of the property, with shoreline to Lough Gill, is a cross section of the entire farm. While the land quality is not as good as the rest it has potential for extensive grassland farming and could attract significant environmental protection supports.
According to Mr McQuinn the expected green focus of the upcoming CAP reform package may well make this area very valuable.
Included in the 100ac are 15ac of arable ground, 20ac of forestry with seven years’ premia left and 65 acres of marsh ground, of which 30 acres are designated SAC.
The farm can be sold in lots or as an entire and is currently under offer.