This year's biggest holding hits market
The biggest holding to come on the market this year is expected to make around €10m.
Begerin Estate in North Slob, Co Wexford, is a 1,220ac holding currently in the ownership of Lee Strand Co-op in Co Kerry. It is for sale by tender on December 7 unless previously sold.
The property includes entitlements of €124,000 as well as four farmyards, a two-storey residence, a four-bedroom manager's bungalow and three chalets.
The joint selling agents are Sherry Fitzgerald Radford in Wexford and UK company Strutt & Parker. Although there is no official guide price, based on current land prices in the area it would fall into the €10m bracket. It is offered for sale in its entirety, in seven separate lots or as a combination of lots.
Begerin Estate is situated on the sea-front just three miles from Wexford town and 12 miles from Rosslare harbour.
The former dairy farm is currently under tillage and according to the selling agents it offers potential to create a valuable, high-yielding agricultural investment or sporting estate.
The lots are: the main residence and coach yard on 65ac; the beef yard (Brandishes) on 2.5.2ac; the dairy yard and 395ac; the grain yard and 206.4ac; the bull yard (Ravens) and 286ac. The remaining two lots are the manager's bungalow and 4.6ac with shooting rights.
The estate is bordered by the sea on one side and a large nature reserve on the other side. It predominantly comprises large areas of arable land and a small acreage of water meadows.
The main residence, known as Begerin House, is a ranch-style two-storey house set in private gardens, away from the agricultural operations. Its situation in a raised position gives it panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
The manager's bungalow is off-lying but close to the estate, also in an elevated position overlooking the farmland. This is situated in about four acres of paddock and garden.
Begerin Estate is also one of the country's premier wildfowl reserves. This covers around 550ac. Both it and the estate are located on land claimed from the sea in 1847.
The land is known locally as the North Slob. The sloblands were reclaimed from the sea using elaborate pumping and drainage systems.
In recent years the farmland has not been utilised to its full potential, but bearing in mind the quality and type of soils present, it should be capable of hosting a high yielding commercial vegetable growing operation and a cattle rearing unit. The cropping at Begerin in 2007 included wheat, winter wheat, oats and a large acreage of grass lays utilised for the making of haylage.
The property is being sold with vacant possession on completion and in light of this no new arable crops have been sown post harvest 2007. Some areas of grassland were ploughed and re-sown in September 2007.
The buildings are extensive and may suit a variety of agricultural uses. The majority of the buildings require comprehensive repairs to be carried out to bring them up to a usable standard for grain storage and stock handling and to comply with standard health and safety requirements.
The estate is protected by a substantial sea wall. The water level is controlled daily by a series of pumps operated by a representative organisation of local landowners. There are over six miles of well maintained roads which give good access to the farm buildings and remoter areas of land.
Tender documents are available from O'Grady Solicitors, 4th Floor, 8-34 Percy Place, Dublin 4. Tel 01-6613960.
