Temperatures ran high in the Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge, Co Kildare, on Wednesday 8 July as a 40ac parcel of land at Ballymorris, Portarlington, Co Laois, exceeded its guide price by 77%, making €885,000 in under nine minutes.

Competing for the land were four active bidders - three in-person and one online.

Opening at its guide price of €500,000, three in-person bidders competed in €10,000 increments, quickly pushing the price up to €580,000, where it held.

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Requesting a brief recess to consult with the vendor, auctioneer Eamon O’Flaherty of Sherry FitzGerald Brady O’Flaherty returned to request further bids.

This prompted a response and an online bidder entered the fray, reigniting the contest as they went head to head with the in-person bidder.

“All done then?” asked Eamon as the pace eased at €650,000.

It was far from done, as the in-person bidder came back with another bid and the battle drove on.

Recess

At €710,000, the auctioneer requested another adjournment, but the participants weren’t stopping for him, as the in-person bidder cut him off mid-appeal with a bid and the quick-fire exchange continued.

At €850,000, the auctioneer was finally granted his reprieve, returning within two minutes to declare the property on the market.

“€860,000 I’m bid now, on the market and selling,” he said.

Switching to €5,000 increments did little to slow the momentum, which finally peaked at €885,000, where Eamon brought the hammer down to the in-person bidder, who is an adjoining landowner.

Speaking after the auction, the auctioneer noted that the result reflected the demand throughout Leinster for good-quality small- to medium-sized holdings.

The final sale price of €885,000 - equating to €22,125/ac - is significantly higher than the county average of €15,360/ac, according to the Irish Farmers Journal Land Report.