Farmers bid to save ’Bridge mart

While GMV Auctioneers has slapped a guide price of €450,000 on Sixmilebridge mart, local farmers are hoping to put a financial package together that will secure the future of the mart premises at Ballysheen.
Recently, a four-man committee of Michael O’Neill, Pat Enright, Stiofán Fitzpatrick and Brendan Considine was given a mandate to examine the feasibility of reopening the livestock mart and they will report to a meeting in Sixmilebridge next Tuesday night.
The Clare Champion understands that an offer, believed to be considerably lower than the guide price, has been tabled for the mart premises, which is located on a 4.5 acre site.
Tuesday’s meeting will hear if the reopening of the mart is a viable proposition and, if so, if a financial package can be put together that would see the ownership of the premises revert back to the farmers, as was the case when the mart first opened for business in 1973. The mart was founded by a group of local businessmen and traded as Bunratty Farmers’ Export Mart. The mart changed hands 20 years ago when it was purchased by Golden Vale Co-Op Group.
On Saturday sale days, a staff of seven people worked with the manager, Kevin Leahy, jnr.
Tuesday night’s meeting is timed for 8.30pm and will be held in the GAA hall.