It’s not every day a farm the size of 1,090ac comes onto the market; however, Raymond Potterton has such a feat.

Ballinla Farm, one of the “largest and most productive farms we’ve offered”, is for sale on the open market. It is located at Edenderry, Co. Offaly (Eircode: R45 Y176), and is comprised of 1,090ac or 441ha.

It further includes 720ac of top-yielding tillage lands; 190ac of highly productive grassland; and 180ac of professionally managed forestry.

“Ballinla has been developed as a highly productive commercial farm and maintained to an incredibly high standard by three generations of the vendor family, and comes to the market for the first time in more than 100 years,” according to the auctioneers.

The property is located 5km from Edenderry; 27km from Enfield; and 60km from Dublin City and Airport via the M4. There is easy access to the motorway network at Junction 3 on the M6; Junction 9 on the M4; and Junction 16 on the M7.

‘Quality and standard of excellence throughout’

“It is difficult to adequately convey the quality and standard of excellence throughout the lands and the exceptionally good layout,” stated the auctioneers. Moreover, it was stressed that none of the farm comprises “made-up acres”, and rather the entire is “tip-to-toe” productive.

Uniquely, the farm is laid out in a single block with more than 5km of public road frontage and is serviced by circa 8km of internal roadways with level, smooth surfaces facilitating fast and efficient movement of machinery and vehicles.

Furthermore, the property is bounded on one side for 3.3km by the Grand Canal.

Tillage

All of the tillage lands extending to circa 720ac are very deep, free draining and highly fertile soil completely devoid of any waste ground and appear “quite spectacular”.

They are all laid out in regular-shaped, well-elevated level fields ranging in size from 30 to 150ac. Every division has high-quality roadway access.

Not only that but meticulously maintained 10-year field records show consistently high yields of quality grain frequently in excess of 5t/ac.

Grazing

All of the grazing lands extending to circa 190ac are in highly productive permanent pasture, laid out in very useful-sized fields ranging from 10 to 20ac.

All of the fields have piped water supplied from the artesian well, delivering a constant high volume of water and are perfectly fenced with stock-proof fencing for cattle and sheep.

Properly maintained gates give access to the farm roadway system, facilitating the easy movement of stock as a ‘one-man’ operation.

Forestry

The forestry lands of circa 180ac are predominantly of Sitka and Norway spruce. They are partly bounded by the Grand Canal and are laid out in a number of sections, all with high-quality roadway access.

Sections vary from vigorous young plantations of Sitka spruce, to 35-year-old final thinned saw log quality spruce and some stands of oak and other hardwoods.

The forestry has always been professionally managed with the objective of regular cash-flow from the sale of thinning and saw log production.

Environmental

Best environmental practices have been promoted and adhered to for many years including the provision of red squirrel feeders; bat boxes; and bird feeders through the woodlands.

Another feature is a small, sheltered, circa 3ac lake which was excavated and is well stocked with coarse fish and supports a large population of swans, wild duck and migratory birds.

Headland strips to promote pollinators and wildlife are meticulously provided in the tillage fields.

Outbuildings

Alongside the considerable amount of land, there is a variety of extensive outbuildings present also, including:

A general store with an asbestos-sheeted roof;
A grain store with underfloor ventilation and an overhead filling facility, with non-drip roofing;
A machinery shed;
Grain intake hoppers – underground – each of circa 30t capacity;
A grain cleaner;
Two Alvan Blanch grain driers with a combined drying capacity of 35t/hour;
A seed grain drier with 5t/hour capacity;
Slurry stores are adjacent, constructed in concrete overground tanks of an 800,000 gallon capacity and fitted with slatted sheep accommodation over;
Emergency fire fighting covered concrete water tank with a 100,000 gallon capacity; and steel Perma store water tank with a 50,000 gallon capacity. Both tanks are fed by a main pipe from the constant-flow artesian well;
A farm workshop / repair building fully equipped with a fuel and lubricant store;
Spare parts and a tool store;
A weighbridge with a 60ft platform and 50t capacity – with bunded fuel oil tanks;
A chemical store secure;
A radio mast providing reliable high-speed broadband and mobile phone coverage;
A farm office well appointed and including a testing laboratory and staff facilities; as well as a farm staff canteen;
Three phase electricity power; and
20,000 kilo-volt-amperes (kVA) ESB substation.

All farm buildings are in excellent repair and condition, according to the auctioneers.

Further information

“Seldom if ever has a farm of the size and quality of Ballinla come on the open market; it is most highly recommended,” stated the auctioneers. Not only that but “throughout the farm every drain, waterway and hedgerow is impeccably maintained”.

Ballinla Farm is for sale by public auction on Tuesday, August 11, at 3:00pm, at the Johnstown Estate Hotel, Enfield.

To date, although only recently launched on the market, there has been interest throughout the Republic of Ireland, as well as abroad.