The notable drop in the supply of land to the market in Co Wexford last year kept a major foothold on price as values actually increased by 5% to €11,729/acre. This puts Wexford into the top four most expensive counties and is preceded by Kildare at €11,925/acre, Dublin at €12,171/acre and Louth at €12,463/acre.

Supply, on the other hand, took a major tumble, going from 3,037 acres in 2015 to 1,946 acres last year, representing a 35.9% decrease. The reduction in the number of farms offered for sale (41 farms in 2016 as opposed to 80 in 2015), had a significant bearing on the number of completed sales, with 26 transactions recorded last year compared to 48 sales in 2015.

Prices ranged from €6,000/acre for a 25-acre parcel located at Newbay, Wexford, to a top price of €19,100/acre for an 18.8-acre prime piece of land situated at Kilmurray, Gorey, which sold under the hammer for €360,000.

Auction rooms were busy in Co Wexford, with 22 farms going under the hammer, of which 17 successfully sold under the hammer. These included 35 acres at Drinagh North, Wexford, which made €525,000 or €15,000/acre; a 49.66-acre residential package near Foulksmills averaged €9,400/acre or €471,000; a 39-acre parcel at Knocknalour, Bunclody, was knocked down at €505,000 or €12,900/acre while a 25-acre parcel near Tombrack, Ferns, fetched €350,000 or €14,000/acre.

Three of the bigger farms that sold included an 81-acre farm situated at Ballydaniel, Camolin, that made €1.36m or €16,700/acre; a 92-acre residential holding at Fairfield, The Still, made €1.24m or €13,400/acre; while an attractive 63-acre residential package at Model Farm, Killane, was knocked down at €950,000 or €15,000/acre.

Other sales included 48.4 acres near Bree which averaged €13,600/acre; 42.3 acres at Graigue Hill, Bannow, sold for €15,400/acre and 22 acres near Oylgate made €8,800/acre.