Kildare farms on 841 acres have three period houses

IN ONE OF the largest land sales in this country for many years, 841 acres on three separate farms with substantial period houses in Co Kildare are to be offered for sale by auction on July 11th.

The farms are located within 5kms of each other between Broadford, Carbury and Moyvalley, and have been farmed by several generations of the Robinson family over the past 300 years. Brothers Louis and Michael Robinson have now called time on the farming enterprise and if a single buyer for the land does not emerge next month, they plan to sell it in up to 11 separate lots.

Tadgh Campion of Campion Property Consultants is not providing an overall guide price because, he says, there are no precedents in recent years for a sale of such a large quantity of land in the midlands – it is a mere 50km from Dublin city and 7km from the M4. The quality and status of the two homes owned by the brothers will also have a bearing on the final valuation. There is also a third period house which needs restoration.

Farms of more than 100 acres have been selling for anything between €8,000 and €14,000 an acre over the past year, depending on the location, quality of the land and adjoining countryside.

A number of agents specialising in land sales have reported renewed interest in large tracts of land, particularly in counties adjoining Dublin. However, it is extremely rare that a holding of more than 800 acres in single ownership is offered for sale.

Some of the interest in large farms is coming from farmers who received substantial compensation from the sale of land for new roads. Other interested groups include investors who sold businesses or commercial properties at the top of the market and now want to put their surplus cash into land because of the fluctuating value of the euro and the uncertainty about its future.

Campion says the Co Kildare land is suitable for most types of farming, from bloodstock to beef and sheep production and from dairying to tillage or energy crop production.

He said he will not be surprised if the holding is bought specifically for the production of organic food.

The largest single segment of the estate is the 485-acre farm at Clonkeeran which is used for a variety of activities including cereal growing, grazing and bloodstock paddocks. About 10 hectares are set aside for forestry while 29 hectares are used for the production of short rotation coppice willow for biomass use. The 485 acres are divided almost equally by the Sweep river. Clonkeeran also has a large manor house with four bedrooms and four reception rooms with views over much of the land.

Another house at Kilglass is a substantial 18th century dwelling with beautiful proportions and an impressive entrance. The six-bedroom house is set among mature woodlands and is approached through elegant cast-iron gates. There is a lovely old stable yard with 12 boxes and a walled garden. The grounds also include a two-bedroom mews house. Kilglass House is surrounded by 92 acres with one-third of it in forestry.

A third dwelling, Knockcor House, is also quite spacious but in need of substantial restoration. It has an adjoining 264 acres of rolling landscape including 44 hectares of forestry.