Development LandOne of the largest development land banks yet made available in Thurles has been offered for sale by private treaty.
Located adjacent to the town centre, the 82-acre site is expected to achieve €25 million, an indicative price given recent sales nearby, according to industry sources.
The very large site is in St John's Park on the eastern boundary of Thurles town centre, sandwiched between the Dublin and Moyne roads.
It was bought by the late Michael Purcell in the mid-1960s and was laid out as a model farm with a palatial early 1930s mansion as its centrepiece.
The property is now being sold by the Purcell family by private treaty. Interest will undoubtedly be strong given that the site is "right on the doorstep of Thurles town centre and is within the development boundary", say Denis O'Donoghue and Isobel O'Regan of agent Savills HOK.
Importantly, the next round of re-zoning proposals is due to take place at the beginning of 2008 for the 2009 Thurles Town & Environs Development Plan, they add. This "will ensure strong developer interest" in the 82.32-acre site.
A residential development, subject to the required planning permission, is one likely way to go given there are two high quality housing developments next door. These are Hazelwood and Dun Lia being built by local developers Rivermont Construction.
The availability of potential development lands of this calibre in a growing town such as Thurles with a catchment population of 14,000 and a main line railway service to Dublin points to significant interest in the site, the agents add.
The site carries with it a bit of history, given it was once the stronghold of the Purcell Brothers cattle dealing operation. They ran a substantial €500 million-a-year live export business to the Middle East and to Argentina from the 1960s through the 1980s.
The Purcells also had a passion for racing and enjoyed considerable success: Hello Dandy, the 1984 Grand National winner, was sold from St John's Park.
Purcell successes also came with Buck House, who won the Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1986, and My View, winner of the 1992 Coral Golden Hurdle.
