From memory, the last sizeable farm that I viewed in the Birr region was Clonbeale House, Rath, Co Offaly, back in the summer of 2014. Standing on circa 280 acres, Clonbeale was the second largest farm to be offered for sale on the open market that year and came complete with a Georgian residence, 75 acres of forestry and around 200 acres of agricultural land.

Incidentally, I was back again in the same region last week, this time to visit a 176.68-acre residential holding which has just arrived on the market at Cloncarbon, Birr, Co Offaly. And as an added bonus, it happened to be the hottest day of the year – the thermometer in the car hit a staggering 29.5 degrees at one stage.

176 acres of tillage and grazing ground

Cloncarbon comes to the market with a single-storey residence, a range of farm buildings and 176 acres of tillage and grazing ground laid out in one single block. Used over the years to accommodate a tillage and drystock enterprise, the farm is superbly serviced by a long internal central farm roadway that gives access to the majority of fields. When I was there last week, some of the winter barley had been harvested and the straw baled.

Selling agent Jim Cashen, Central Auctioneers, Birr is offering the farm in one lot only by private treaty and is guiding in the region of €9,000 to €10,000/acre.

For more visit the property pages of this week's Irish Farmers Journal. On sale Thursday.

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