David Quinn of Quinn Property in Gorey is no stranger to some unusual auctions. And while 44 acres of good land sold well at auction recently, it was the third lot that drew the headline. Seven acres of good land away from the 44 acres was withdrawn from auction at a substantial €20,000/ac, or €140,000. Four bidders wanted the piece of ground.

In total, almost 52 acres at Ballyrahan near Gorey were offered in five separate lots, with the fifth (44 acres) being a combination of lot one, two and four. It was this package that turned out to be the successful entry. Bidding on the day was brisk, with a total of 13 bidders for the five offerings. The first lot was just over 19 acres. Three bidders got this lot up to €250,000, or €12,820/ac, before being held. This parcel is a smashing piece of tillage ground, according to Quinn, and possibly the highlight lot of the holding.

Currently laid out in stubble, this parcel was guided for in the region of €10,000-12,000/ac. The second lot is also just over 19 acres. A nice parcel, it is a mix of tillage and grassland, with circa 10.5 acres in tillage and nine acres in permanent pasture. This lot would not be to the same high quality as the previous one, but it is still in good condition. This was represented come auction time, as the holding reached €135,000, or €7,100/ac. The guide was €8,000-10,000/ac. Lot four was six acres and was bid to €70,000, or €10,000/ac, similar to its guide. The fifth lot is almost 45 acres and is a combination of lot one, two and four. It is guided for circa €10,000/ac. It was this particular lot that did the business.

Opening at €460,000, two bidders got stuck in. Put on the market at €520,000, or over €11,800/ac, a few further bids saw the hammer fall at €540,000, or €12,230/ac, to a tillage farmer.