Supply of farmland fell sharply in Tipperary last year – but prices increased. Seventy-three farms were placed on the market, well down from the 99 of the year before.

Further, the average holding was smaller. So the total area offered for sale was 3,152ac, significantly down from the 4,729ac of 2020.

Forty-four of the holdings were under 40ac and 29 were over 40ac. Twenty-two of the farms were residential. Twenty-seven were offered for sale by auction, the remainder by private treaty.

Average price was €12,575/ac, an increase of almost €2,000/ac on the €10,584/ac of 2020. This was one of the biggest increases seen among counties in 2021. Unusually, the bigger farms fetched a higher price. Average price for holdings under 40ac was €11,815/ac but for the holdings over 40ac it was €13,819/ac.

There was a wide spread of prices. The highest price paid was €34,100/ac. This was for a residential property sold by private treaty. The lowest price was €1,795/ac, which was paid at an auction of 117ac of hill land at Knocklisheen.

There were a number of notable auction results. Dougan Fitzgerald got €20,408/ac for 49ac at Carron, Cashel. REA Eoin Dillon got €28,462/ac for 65ac at Lough Derg, Coolbawn. REA Stokes & Quirke got €25,510/ac for a 19.6ac organic holding at Moyglass, Fethard.

As has been the case in recent years, dairy farmers were the most active buyers of farmland in Tipperary in 2021, taking just over one-third (35%) of holdings sold. Business buyers were a close second, taking 31% of holdings sold.

The remaining farms were shared between mixed enterprise farmers and tillage farmers.