GVM got a price of €20,179/ac at public auction for a 17ac field at Ballyneety, Co Limerick. Auctioneer Tom Crosse said that this elevated field was one of the finest sold in the county. “Bidding opened at €150,000,” he said. “Six bidders participated, both from the farming and business communities. The field went on the market at €275,000 and after frantic bidding the gavel fell at €337,000 or €20,179/ac.”

This was a record for land in this area in recent times and it shows the growing demand for good quality holdings, he said.

Castlecomer auctioneer Joe Coogan sold a 22.5ac holding at Crettyard, Co Kilkenny recently for a price in the region of €12,000/ac. The holding included a slatted unit with capacity for 60 store cattle. The land is described as good summer grazing ground. The area is about 7km from Castlecomer. The sale was private treaty and the buyer is a local farmer.

Joe Coogan has also gone sale agreed on 51.5ac of land for planting at Cloughtenclough, Bilboa, also in Kilkenny. The price is in the region of €6,500/ac and the buyer is a farmer from Co Wicklow.

Ballina auctioneers Fox & Gallagher held a very successful online auction of the 80ac dairy farm located at Rathlee and Caltra in Co Sligo. The holding included a farmhouse and farmyard.

The farm was sold in 13 lots and the total proceedings came close to €900,000. The guide was €700,000. Auctioneer Karl Fox said that 35 people registered to big and 300 bids were made in just 46 minutes.

“Most of the lots were bought by local people,” he said. “The bidding was ferocious. The interest was driven by the quality of the land. The land is powerful. Most of the land made €10,000/ac. One parcel, which included commonage, made €6,300/ac.”