Meath holding withdrawn

A nice package in Meath was withdrawn from auction having failed to meet the guide.

The 23 acres located in Ballinvalley near Oldcastle were guided at €200,000, or €8,700/ac, however the holding was withdrawn from auction at €125,000. Opened at over €100,000 by auctioneer handling the sale Martin Shortt, it was bid for by two drystock farmers from the locality.

However when bidding halted at €125,000, proceedings were ceased. Shortt has confirmed that negotiations are continuing and he commented that he was confident of a sale.

The holding itself was previously a drystock farm. Kept in good condition, it is well fenced and has a good water supply.

This ready-to-use parcel also contains road frontage onto one of the fields. In total, it consists of four nice-sized paddocks. It is now offered by private treaty and there are hopes that it will meet its guide.

Lots selling before and after auction

A nice-sized residential package in Westmeath sold recently, the unconventional way. The holding, located in Emper near Ballynacargy, consisted of a residence and circa 40 acres. Dillion Murtagh of Murtagh Bros confirmed to Irish Country Living that the house on three acres was sold prior to auction for an undisclosed sum, while the remaining 36 acres were sold afterwards.

The 36 acres were withdrawn at €200,000 and then sold immediately after.

This residential farm was being guided for circa €300,000. It contains a traditional, two-bed cottage which was built circa 50 years ago. The land here is good grazing ground, but it requires some TLC.

The farm which was auctioned at the Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar, was previously a beef farm.

55 acres fails to sell

Last week 55 acres of ground in Springfield near Ballacolla in Laois failed to sell at auction. Described as a difficult auction by agent William Mansfield, the bidding opened at €300,000 after some hesitancy from the floor. Things didn’t pick up too much after that. Two bidders did push the property up to €360,000, or €6,550/ac, but proceedings were called to halt at this point. The holding was guided for €550,000, or €10,000/ac, before the auction making the withdrawal at this point disappointing. The two bidders in question were both dairy farmers.

Negotiations did continue after the auction, but no deal was agreed. The guide price has now been dropped to €500,000. One new party has since entered the race for the holding, which is now being offered by private treaty. The auction itself took place in the Manor Hotel in Abbeyleix, where a good crowd of predominantly local farmers attended.

Of the 55 acres, 45 were of top quality, with 10 acres of a heavier nature. These 10 acres would be in need of work to achieve their full potential. The 45 acres are very fertile, according to Mansfield. The block is divided into five paddocks, including one very large holding. It is well fenced and has a good, solid water supply. It is currently all in grass. Also offered with the lands was a residence. This home has not been lived in over the last 10 years, but has been kept in surprisingly good condition given the circumstances. Containing three bedrooms, it’s in need of modernisation but would make a lovely home. The holding also contained a variety of older buildings, including a range of older stables, a hay shed and a few sheds for storage.

Almost €18,000/ac in Laois

A nice 10-acre parcel sold for a substantial €17,750/ac at auction in the last week.

Handling the sale was Jordan Auctioneers of Newbridge. The lands were located at Cloneen close to Ballybrittas, Co Laois.

They were sold under the hammer at public auction on Thursday last for an impressive final price of €177,500.

Before an attendance of about 15 people, bidding was lively throughout. The property opened with an offer of €100,000 and with three active purchasers up to €155,000, the property was placed on the market.

Two parties fought it out before the hammer dropped at a price of €17,750/ac to a local farmer.

The property was located just off the old N7 National Primary Route, between Monasterevin and Portlaoise, approximately 2.5km from Ballybrittas and 3.5km from Killenard.

The entire was all in permanent pasture with mains water supplied, but had been sterilised from future development as part of an historic planning application.

Speaking after the auction, auctioneer Clive Kavanagh said the “land had generated substantial interest from the outset and although planning permission would be difficult to obtain it is likely a locally based person with strong connections to the area might be able to achieve a favourable outcome”.