Similar to Co Carlow, the land market in Kilkenny progressed at a steady pace throughout 2016. The average price paid for land last year was €10,740/acre, down just 1% on the 2015 average of €10,883/acre. A buoyant level of activity resulted in 34 completed transactions with the auction room throwing up a 74% success rate, well ahead of the national average.

The supply of land to the market was slightly back. A total of 51 farms incorporating 1,974 acres were offered for sale – down only 2.3% on the previous year when 2,021 acres were offered for sale. Big exceptional farms don’t frequently arrive on the market in Co Kilkenny – only two farms last year comprised 100 acres or more with the majority less than 40 acres in size.

Prices ranged from €3,600/acre for a parcel of land near Castlecomer to a top price of €22.900/acre for an attractive holding in the Kells area.

Properties that sold at auction included a 33.4-acre piece of ground near Castlewarren which made €200,000 or €5,900/acre; a 10-acre parcel near Ballyragget averaged €14,500/acre or €145,000; an 18.5-acre residential holding near Jenkinstown sold under the hammer for €267,000 or €14,400/acre; while an 11.6-acre parcel close to The Rower fetched €170,000 or €14,600/acre.

There was also a 42-acre block of tillage land at Lowergrange, Goresbridge, which made €685,000 or €16,300/acre; land in the Graiguenamanagh area averaged €9,000/acre; a 60-acre farm close to the Tipperary border made €10,300/acre; while hill land in the Inistioge area sold for €3,800/acre.

Among the bigger farms was a 138-acre residential holding near Hugginstown which made €1,045,000 or €7,500/acre and a 90-acre farm located at Ennistag, Stoneyford, which made €1.17m or €13,000/acre.

Well located good-quality land is highly sought after in the county. This is reflected in the fact that 20 farms last year made between €10,000/acre to €22,000/acre – the majority of these comprised 15 to 40 acres.