A 20-year lease on the 308ac working dairy farm, the property of the Benedictine order, is on the market in Limerick. The land is in two blocks, a 257ac grazing platform and a 51ac out-farm 3km away. In terms of infrastructure, there is a 14-unit milking parlour, 150 cubicles, plus silage and slurry storage. There is a dwelling house available on site, if required.
A 20-year lease on the 308ac working dairy farm, the property of the Benedictine order, is on the market in Limerick. The land is in two blocks, a 257ac grazing platform and a 51ac out-farm 3km away. In terms of infrastructure, there is a 14-unit milking parlour, 150 cubicles, plus silage and slurry storage. There is a dwelling house available on site, if required.
The farm is located approximately 20km east of Limerick city.
As part of the lease, the entitlements can be leased and paid back to the owners. Financial vetting will be part of the process for those interested in taking on the lease.
The farm is located approximately 20km east of Limerick city at Glenstal Abbey, near Murroe. It ranges from 300ft to 450ft above sea level. The term of the lease commences on 1 January 2020 and ends on 31 December 2039, or earlier if suited to both parties. In terms of price, the guide for quotes is €225/acre. The lease would be subject to review in five-year periods.
As part of the lease, the entitlements will be leased and paid back to the owners.
Glenstal Abbey is a Benedictine monastery. There are a total of 500 acres in the estate with streams, lakes and woodland paths, surrounding a castle built in the Norman style. The word “Glenstal” means The Glen of the Stallion, and is an English rendering of the Irish “Gleann Stail”. The abbey is home to a community of monks, a boarding school for boys, a guesthouse and a monastic community.
“It’s another religious community that is trying to retire from farming,” said Mike Brady of Brady Consultants, who are acting as agents on the lease. “The cows will be sold and if someone is interested they can buy them. There are 138 cows currently on the farm that are suitably bred for low-cost spring milk production.”
The farm has the potential to milk 300 cows.
Up until two years ago, one of the monks was running the farm. Since then, there has been a farm manager in place.
“It has the potential to milk 300 cows. With a 20-year lease, the incentive is there to invest in the capital on the farm,” said Mike.
It’s hard to get a block of land like that in this country
He added that the ground is mixed, but overall excellent for grass growth. There is some very dry land and some with a heavier type soil.
“It’s hard to get a block of land like that in this country. It’s a good dairy farm with good fences, roadways, grass and infrastructure. It is an odd shape, v-shaped, and the yard is in one leg of the V, so there is a little bit of walking for the cows.
“The ideal person would be from a large dairy farm with heifers and experience of managing 200 to 300 cows already.”
So far, the property is generating good interest. Mike says that his role “is to get the right tenant for the community. That person has to respect the community’s goals”. CL
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