Edenderry farm sold for €11m

Photo: An aerial shot of Ballinala farm in Edenderry.

What's been described as “the farm of the year” in Edenderry has sold at auction this week for a whopping €11 million to Liffey Mills and a Leinster-based dairy family.

Totalling 1,090 acres, Ballinla Farm is one of the largest commercial holdings ever offered for sale on the open market, according to Navan-based auctioneers Raymond Potterton, who reported “phenomenal interest” with seven weeks of viewings prior to the auction on Tuesday last.

“It's definitely the farm of the year for the entire country. We've sold many fine farms but on scale this is the ultimate package,” auctioneer Stephen Barry from Raymond Potterton told the Offaly Independent on Thursday, adding that it could be many years before a farm of its quality comes on the market again.

Among the eye-catching features of this “impeccably well maintained” farm is over 720 acres of superb tillage land, 190 acres of pasture and two homes – Ballina House – dating from 1842 – and Penny Lodge. “There is a massive commercial farmyard in the middle of the farm spanning over four and a half acres.

It has 13,000 tonnes of modern grain storage facilities, a weighbridge, and three grain dryers capable of drying 36 tonnes an hour,” Stephen continued, detailing some unique elements of the sale of the Tong family farm which has been built up over several generations.

One top quality tillage field spanned 175 acres alone, while there are 8 kilometres of internal road within the holding, a kilometre of which is described as tarred quality on a par with the Edenderry/Tullamore Road.

While there was competition for the farm in lots, the real action came when it was offered as an entire unit. Bidding started at €8 million in The Johnstown Estate Hotel, Enfield on Tuesday, which was limited to less than 50 in attendance before it quickly moved to €11 million mark at which it was sold.

Mr Barry confirmed the buyer was Liffey Mills in conjunction with a Leinster-based dairy family.

Around 60% of the interest came from farmers and the other 40% from businesspeople, according to the seller, with dairy families making up the bulk of the agricultural interest.

You can check out the farm via this virtual tour below: