The Dealer predicts a sharp hike in land prices in the royal county in the coming weeks as Facebook hunts for a site for a second data centre in Meath. The social media superpower already has a €200m data centre under construction on the outskirts of Clonee. When complete, the facility will extend to 621,000sq ft or the equivalent of 14 Aviva stadiums.

For the second data centre, Mark Zuckerberg’s people are likely to be hunting for a site along the M3 and within 50km of Dublin for ease of access.

Agricultural land values in Meath range from €10,000/ac to €14,000/ac but land 8km from Clonee sold for €30,000/ac a fortnight ago. Frank Dunne, of the Dunnes Stores dynasty, is believed to be the buyer of the 294ac Ballymacoll Stud at €8.15m.

Those in the know tell The Dealer that zoned land on the fringe of a town could command in the region of €100,000/ac.