Pig farmer buys last of IFA man’s land

The remaining 92 acres of the lands of the well-renowned and respected NFA and IFA man Phil Reilly, were put up for auction during July.

Cavan’s Phil Reilly, the farming activist during the Farmers Rights Campaign in the mid to late 1960s and NFA/IFA representative in the county, was a well-respected character in agricultural circles in Cavan. Up until his passing in March of last year, Reilly and his family farmed the extensive 254-acre farm on the Meath-Cavan border.

Located at Glanadara, Tierworker, the first 158 acres of the holding were sold last December. Irish Country Living reported that this property, which was to be auctioned in seven lots, made a total of €909,000. Each lot was sold to separate farmers in the area.

It was now the turn of the 92 acres with an address of Greaghnadarragh and Teevurcher, near Bailieborough, to be auctioned. This was grazing land, with some parts sloping.

Guided for circa €450,000, or almost €4,900/ac, the auction took place at the Bailie Hotel in Bailieborough. The property was offered in three lots: lot one at 16.67 acres, lot two at 75.46 acres and lot three as the entire.

Bidding was difficult, with the lots struggling to garner interest. When the entire was offered it only received one bid of €350,000, or €3,800/ac, from the floor. Well below the guide, the price was not enough and the property was withdrawn. The highest bidder was a pig farmer from the locality. Negotiations ensued afterwards and a deal was reached.

The final price was substantially higher than the €350,000 at auction and is believed to be closer to the guide of €450,000, or €4,900/ac.

Handling the sale was Navan auctioneer John V Farrelly.

Local dairy farmer pays €10,600/ac

A local dairy farmer bought 22 acres of good-quality grassland in Rathkenny, near Navan, in Co Meath recently. Opening at €150,000, dairy, drystock and tillage farmers also placed bids in the property. The three locals increased the price to €210,000, at which point it was placed on the market. A few further bids saw the farm stay at €235,000, or over €10,600/ac, before the hammer fell – with the dairy farmer coming out of the auction as the buyer.

This sale was also handed by Navan auctioneer John V Farrelly. He described the farm as a fabulous piece of arable land. Rented for the last number of years, it has been used for grazing and kept in good nick.

Also offered on the day was an old farmhouse on three acres. This was withdrawn at €80,000 after receiving one bid. It is reported that it has since been sale agreed.

€11,500/ac achieved in Wicklow

A good-quality grazing farm sold under the hammer near Dunlavin in the last fortnight.

Fresh from a successful auction of Landscape Stud on 91 acres in Kilsheelan on the Tipperary/Waterford border, Jordan Town and Country Estate Agents of Newbridge, Kildare, had another fruitful public sale recently.

On this occasion, it was a smaller package of 36 acres that sold under the hammer for an impressive €415,000, or just over €11,500/ac. Located in Crehelp, near Dunlavin, in Co Wicklow, the holding opened at €250,000, or just under €7,000/ac. Before an attendance of 10 people, the property’s price raced ahead as two active parties competed.

The property was place on the market at €300,000 and with several more bids from the same parties the hammer dropped at €415,000, equating to a price of €11,500/ac. The purchaser is believed to be a local farmer.

Laid out in eight divisions, the location of the farm was favourable, being just 4km from Dunlavin, 16km from Blessington and 18km from Baltinglass. It is currently all in grass and has road frontage – according to auctioneer handling the sale Clive Kavanagh of Jordan auctioneers.

Speaking with Irish Country Living, Kavanagh said it was a well sought after farm.

“There had been good interest from the outset and the lot size made it generally affordable for those looking to expand their existing holding or to buy an out-farm,” he explained.