With almost €18,000/ac being achieved in Cork recently, it was Wexford’s turn to show the strength of certain individuals in the county. That, they certainly did.

The 91-acre residential farm in Knockanevin Castle Ellis, Blackwater, Co Wexford, was guided at €1m or almost €11,000/ac. It sold under the hammer for €1.42m or €15,600/ac.

Unlike the auction in Cork where four bidders competed (see report below), this auction had only two bidders.

Both stuck it out from the opening bid of €800,000 or €8,800/ac all the way until the hammer fell at €1.42m.

The farm was offered in a number of lots. Lot one is just over 50 acres of land, the majority of which was in good condition. This received no bids.

The second lot was just over 37 acres. Similar to lot one, it has also been well kept. It also received no bids.

The only individual lot to receive a bid was the third lot consisting of the house and 3.6 acres.

This received a bid of €130,000 and was withdrawn. With this, auctioneer Frank McGuinness of Sherry FitzGerald O’Leary Kinsella offered the entire to the floor at €800,000 or €8,800/ac.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The holding was bought in trust by auctioneer David Quinn of Quinn Property. It is believed the two bidders were locals.

The sale

The land here had been rented for a considerable period of time to a dairy farmer and a drystock farmer respectively.

The property was on the market since last year by private treaty where it received bids of €1.1m or €12,000/ac.

The auction took place in the Riverside Park in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.