The Spiritan Order has engaged agent Sherry FitzGerald to find a buyer for Rockwell Farm in Tipperary. Located in the heart of the Golden Vale, the lands, which extend to 326 hectares (805 acres), are being offered for sale in one or more lots at an overall guide price of €21 million. The proceeds of the sale are expected to go towards paying the cost of compensation of victims of abuse at schools run by the Spiritan Order.
By November of last year, 359 survivors of abuse at Spiritan schools had come forward, including 347 disclosed in the scoping inquiry report on abuse at private fee-paying schools published in September 2024.
The schools involved were Blackrock College, its feeder junior school Willow Park, Rockwell College, St Mary’s College, St Michael’s College and Templeogue College.
In a statement issued last week, Spiritans provincial Fr Brendan Carr said the order had been upfront about not having the cash to compensate victims and would instead need to sell assets. He said Rockwell Farm would be the first property to be sold as part of this process.
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He said the order had also felt a need “to respond clearly to the suggestion that the Spiritans are deliberately delaying or obstructing progress”.
[ Spiritans disclose assets of €57m as abuse claims increaseOpens in new window ]
The order was recently accused of adding to the suffering of abuse survivors by missing the deadline given last June in announcing a redress scheme.
The Spiritans had not provided any such update at the end of summer, the Restore Together group said, and had been seeking a meeting with the order ever since.
Rockwell College Farm, as it was known originally, was founded by the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritan Order) in 1864. While the lands were in use as an agricultural college up until 2001, today, Rockwell Farm is a fully operational dairy farm.
The property is being offered for sale by Sherry FitzGerald in three lots:
- Lot 1 – Carrigeen: Extending to 109 hectares (268 acres), this land includes two residences and a farmyard and is situated across the road from the lands at Rockwell Farm. The guide price is €6 million.
- Lot 2 - Rockwell Farm and Dogstown: Extending to 217 hectares (537 acres), this portion of the lands includes the farm’s milking parlour and full farmyard with modern facilities. The guide price is €15 million.
- Lot 3 - The entire comprises the whole of Lot 1 and Lot 2 at Carrigeen, Rockwell Farm and Dogstown, and extends to 326 hectares (805 acres). The guide price is €21 million.
Commenting on the sale, Bobby Lloyd and Roseanne De Vere Hunt of Sherry FitzGerald say: “Lands of this calibre, size and quality rarely come to the market. Rockwell Farm is a once-in-a-generation offering for those seeking scale, productivity and prestige.
“This is one of the finest farms and landbanks to come to the market in a long time. The location, ease of access from the M8 and the quality of the lands make this a very exciting opportunity.”
