Farmland continues to be in good demand in 2020, with brisk bidding and sales at many auctions and many private treaty deals successfully concluded also. This, in turn, is encouraging sellers to put farms on the market.

Some properties have made notable prices. Coonan Property sold 29ac at auction for over €21,000 per acre. The tillage land is at Bogganstown, Dunboyne, Co Meath. There were four active bidders.

The opening bid was €370,000. Bidding proceeded in increments of €5,000 and €10,000 and the land went on the market at €610,000. Bidding resumed and it was sold at €620,000.

Wexford

In Wexford, Quinn Property sold 57ac at Greenmount, Enniscorthy recently for the equivalent of €16,500/ac. The holding included a single-story derelict residence and some of the land is zoned for low density housing.

Lot 1, which was 17.7 acres with residence, was bid to €400,000 by four potential buyers. Lot 2, 39ac including some forestry, was also bid to €400,000. When the entire was then offered, it opened at €810,000 and two bidders brought it to €910,000. At that point it went on the market and the same two bidder went to €940,000, with the holding knocked down to a local solicitor buying in trust.

Westmeath

Auctioneers Raymond Potterton sold 63ac at Newtown, Delvin, Co Westmeath, for over €8,300/ac. Bidding opened at €380,000 and three bidders brought it all the way to €525,000. The auctioneers then sold an adjoining 10 acre parcel, for a separate owner, at €50,000.

At Portumna Mart, joint agents Martin Tyrrell Auctioneer and Brian Tuohy Auctioneers had a successful auction of 128ac at Woodford, Co Galway, selling it for €705,000, or €5,500/ac.

Bidding opened at €500,000 and there were four bidders. The land was eventually purchased by three farmers – two from the area and one from Limerick.

One section of this farm has excellent views over scenic Lough Derg.

Cavan

In Cavan, Keenan Auctioneers held an auction at Kingscourt Mart, and used the MartEye bidding platform to allow online bidding.

There were three lots on offer, all located between Kingscourt and Shercock.

Lot 1, 10 acres with a farmhouse, sold for €146,000. Lot 2, comprising 17 acres with a derelict farmhouse, was the best performer.

Ascending in bids of €1,000, two bidders fought on until the hammer fell at €261,000 – or about €15,350 per acre. Lot 3, 25 acres with a yard and three-bay slatted shed, sold for €144,000.

Cashel Mart sold a 160ac dairy farm at Kilross, Co Tipperary by private treaty for €1.75m or €10,937/ac. It has been bought by a local family as an investment opportunity.