A 26ac parcel of grassland in Co Kildare is going for auction with a guide price of €2.6m or €100,000/ac - almost 10 times the average value of Irish farmland.

The holding is valuable because of its location, in between the expanding towns of Kilcullen and Newbridge, both 3km away, and beside the small village of Athgarvan.

In addition, the property is zoned under a number of classifications under the Kildare County Development Plan 2023 to 2029. These include: new residential ‘C’ on c4.6ac; existing residential ‘B’ on c1.4ac; community and educational ‘E’ on c5.6ac; and open space and amenity ‘F’ on c9.8ac. The balance of c4.4ac is outside the village boundary.

Established developments

Several established housing developments adjoin the land, including Old Mill Race, Mountain View, Whitethorn and Eyrefield Lawns. The holding for sale has 350m frontage on to the Curragh Road.

Further adding to the value of the land, the location has easy access to the M7 and M9 motorways at junctions 12 and junction 2 respectively.

A commuter train service to Dublin is available from Newbridge, with a frequent service to either Heuston Station or Grand Canal Dock.

The holding has a cottage, plus an old farmyard, with a three-bay hayshed and several old outhouses and stores. The land lies in five fields and has hedge boundaries.

It is being sold by Jordan Auctioneers and is going for auction on Friday 30 June in the Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge, at 3pm. “Athgarvan is a proven selling location benefiting from its village environment,” auctioneer Clive Kavanagh said.