Derryhiney farm, situated in Derryhiney, Portumna, Co Galway, is a substantial 340-acre farm with an interesting story behind it. The farm was originally owned by Rickard Deasy, a farmer educated in Oxford who helped found the National Farmer’s Association, later renamed the Irish Farmers Association. Deasy served as president of the IFA from 1962 until 1967.He sold the farm around 1959 to Frank Madden, a
Cambridge-educated farmer. Madden began about expanding the farm and constructed new silage walls, a slatted sheep shed and two slatted cattle sheds, one at either end of the farm.
Derryhiney farm, situated in Derryhiney, Portumna, Co Galway, is a substantial 340-acre farm with an interesting story behind it. The farm was originally owned by Rickard Deasy, a farmer educated in Oxford who helped found the National Farmer’s Association, later renamed the Irish Farmers Association. Deasy served as president of the IFA from 1962 until 1967.
He sold the farm around 1959 to Frank Madden, a
Cambridge-educated farmer. Madden began about expanding the farm and constructed new silage walls, a slatted sheep shed and two slatted cattle sheds, one at either end of the farm.
He then installed a series of internal roadways around the farm to allow ease of access from one side to the other.
Today, the farm comprises a single-storey farmhouse residence, a range of modern farm buildings set on two farmyards, including a slatted shed for 120 cattle, silage walls, a second slatted shed with room for 120 cattle, an open-sided barn, as well as the original cut stone buildings in a traditional courtyard setting.
The single-storey house is approached via a long chestnut tree-lined avenue and is set in a mature parkland surrounded by fig, ewe and beech trees.
The land is set out for a number of uses, with 230 acres under tillage, while the remainder is in grass. Circa 46 acres of the land adjoins the river Shannon and is low-lying. This ground is known locally as callow and is suitable for grazing only.
There is also an area of scrub woodland and cut-away bog along the northern boundary, amounting to circa 13.75 acres, which has not been utilised or farmed.
According to selling agent Stephen Barry, the farm at Derryhiney has massive potential for a major dairy enterprise: “This is a vast and modern farm that doesn’t need any money spent on it. You won’t see a place as prime and ready like it for sale in Ireland for a number of years.”
Derryhiney farm will be offered for sale by public auction on Wednesday, 12 November, at 3pm in the County Arms Hotel, Birr.
The sale is being handled by Raymond Potterton Auctioneers, who are guiding in the region of €2.5m for the farm. CL
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