Up to €16,000/acre was given at the recent auction of a 51-acre farm situated at Matt Lanes, near Balbriggan, Co Dublin. Selling agent Pat O’Hagan, Savills, Dublin, offered the property in three separate lots, two of which sold under the hammer, while the third is under negotiation.

After opening at €80,000, a rectangular 13-acre stubble field was knocked down at €155,000, or almost €12,000/acre, in trust to a solicitor. It’s believed he was acting on behalf of a local.

A further 15 acres, which was in cauliflowers earlier this year, started at €100,000 and went up in €5,000 increments until the hammer finally came down at €240,000. This works out at €16,000/acre, which represents a strong price for the area. The buyer was also a local man.

The final lot, comprising 23 acres, generated minimal interest on the day and is currently open to offers. It is guided at €250,000.

On the same day, Pat O’Hagan also offered an 18-acre field situated at Racecourse Commons, Lusk, Co Dublin, for sale by auction. Currently in stubble, there was just one bid of €150,000 at the auction. Falling short of the €200,000 guide price, the land was withdrawn at €150,000 but sold afterwards in a private deal for a figure believed to be in the region of the guide price. It was bought by two locals.

The final auction that day for Pat O’Hagan was Ballanagh House, Avoca, Co Wicklow, which stands on 10 acres and is in need of refurbishment. Located beside Ballyarthur estate, the property was guided at €400,000 prior to auction and sold on the day for €440,000 to a non-local.

10-acre field outside Kilcock for €18,000/acre

It’s rare that a really attractive parcel of land comes on the market just half a mile from Kilcock but this is what auctioneer Evan Lonergan, Knight Frank, Dublin, offered for sale by auction last week. Extending to 54 acres, the property is situated at Courtown Demesne, just 500 metres east of Courtown Stud. It was offered for sale in two lots – one of which successfully sold under the hammer for €18,000/acre, while the second lot is under negotiation. A 10-acre field, which would make a lovely site for a once-off house, attracted four active bidders and was knocked down at €180,000 to a local couple.

The remaining 44 acres, situated across the road, was withdrawn at €400,000 but has made substantial progress since the auction. It’s believed that there are three interested parties but no deal has been agreed yet. Complete with stud-railed fencing and eight horse boxes, the land is described as “superb quality” and is guided in the region of €12,500/acre. All the land was zoned in some shape or form.

Longford 145-acre farm for €580,000

It was clear from the outset that most of the interest in a 145-acre residential farm situated at Aghintemple, Ardagh, Co Longford, was for the full lot.

Selling agent Murtagh Bros, Mullingar, offered the property in a number of lots but after minimal interest, decided to proceed to the entire. With two customers in contention, bidding opened at €450,000 and progressed to €580,000. After a short recess, it was decided to put the farm on the market at €580,000.

With no further bidding, the hammer quickly fell at €580,000 (€4,000/acre) to a person who has farming interests in the area but is not from the locality.

The property came to the market with a traditional two-storey house that requires upgrading and 7.22 acres of forestry. It was guided at €600,000 prior to auction.

Two out of two in Wicklow

A 31.5-acre roadside parcel of land situated at Boley, Shillelagh, Co Wicklow, sold in its entirety at last week’s public auction for almost €7,800/acre. Auctioneer David Quinn, Carnew and Gorey, offered the property initially in two lots of 19.7 and 11.7 acres respectively, which arrived at a combined total of €195,000. These were then parked and the agent concentrated on the entire.

Having originally opened at €150,000, the entire steadily progressed to €200,000, at which stage it was decided to put the land on the market. However, it took another €45,000 before the hammer finally came down at €245,000 to an adjoining landowner. The property was guided at €6,000 to €7,000/acre prior to auction.

The day before, the same agent offered a 31-acre block of land situated at Ballygannon More Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, which actually reached a successful conclusion after auction.

With shared laneway access, it is laid out in five grass fields and was guided at €8,000 to €10,000/acre prior to auction. After opening at €200,000, the property was later withdrawn at €265,000 but sold afterwards in a private deal for a figure in the region of €9,000/acre. The buyer was a drystock farmer living a few miles away.

Cork farm falls just shy of €1m

Auctioneer John Flynn, Charleville, wasn’t too far off quoting a €1 million guide price for a 98-acre residential farm situated at Milltown, Charleville, Co Cork. The property went to auction last week and, after a lively battle, sold under the hammer for €975,000, almost clinching €10,000/acre. Before a crowd of 30 people, John Flynn opened the bidding at €700,000 and took €10,000 bids from three different customers to bring the sale price up to €960,000. After a short recess, it was decided to declare the farm on the market at €960,000. Soon afterwards the hammer fell at €975,000 to a local farmer. The other bidders included an auctioneer acting in trust and another private individual. Used over the years to graze beef cattle, the property came to the market with an old-style bungalow in need of total refurbishment and a range of traditional buildings.

Talks continue for Meath holding

It’s understood that negotiations are continuing following last week’s auction of an 89-acre residential farm situated at Bellinter, Navan, Co Meath. The property, which is described as a “real gem”, features top-class land, over 500 metres of road frontage, a four-bedroom bungalow residence and a range of farm buildings. To add to these, it has expansive views of the Hill of Tara. Selling agent Smith Harrington, Navan, initially offered the property in two separate lots that included the house and yard on 45 acres, which was bid to €600,000, while there was minimal interest in the remaining 44 acres. The entire was subsequently bid to €950,000 but the selling agent was later instructed to withdraw all lots. Talks and negotiations are continuing but no deal has been agreed yet. It’s believed that all six bidders who were present in the room were from outside the vicinity – there were no local or adjoining customers.

Locals secure Garda stations

Auctioneer Noel Corcoran, Tipperary town, handled the sale of three former garda stations in the Tipperary/Limerick region. All three surpassed their guide prices on the day, having generated a lot of interest in the build-up to the auction. These included Ballinure Garda station, Thurles, Co Tipperary, which is now a refurbished four-bedroom residence situated in the centre of the village. With six bidders in contention, this station was knocked down at €100,000 – well ahead of the €70,000 guide. The next station, a cut-stone detached building, was Dundrum Garda Station, Co Tipperary. This was guided at €60,000 but sold for €90,000.

The final station at Doon, Co Limerick, has been unoccupied since the early ’70s. Requiring complete refurbishment and guided at €20,000, the property sold at auction for €50,000. It’s understood that all three buyers are private individuals living locally.