It was a quieter year in the Laois land market, with the average price down by 8%. Twenty-five farms meeting our criteria were put up for sale, up from 22 the year before. The total area at 1,025ac was well down from the 1,837 offered the year before – but that supply figure included the 1,120ac Abbeyleix estate.
Average sale price was €12,787/ac, down from €13,984/ac. Fourteen farms of under 40ac were placed on the market, nine farms between 40ac and 99ac and just two over 100ac.
The farms under 40ac averaged €12,975/ac while those over 40ac averaged €12,618/ac. It was notable that the majority of farms that sold were in the relatively tight price range of €11,000/ac to €14,000/ac.
Seventeen farms were offered by auction, with 12 of them selling on the day. Close to half of holdings were bought by business owners or part-time farmers with sizeable off-farm income. The next most active category of buyer was dairy farmers, with cattle and mixed enterprise farmers trailing behind.
Among the notable sales were the 60ac block of good land at Grantstown, Ballacolla with good sheds and a modern house sold at auction by Hennessy Auctioneers for €1.43m. The same agent auctioned the 120ac Avenue Farm at Camross for €1.34m. Matt Dunne Auctioneers auctioned 42.5ac at Mountrath for €582,000.
Average: €12,787
% change on 2021: -9
Acres offered: 1,025
Total number of farms: 25
Price range: €4,796 to €23,833
Most active buyers: business
Weighted average: €12,149
Number of transactions: 19
