Local buyers to the fore in western land sales

AUCTIONEER Martin Tyrell has had a very busy few months with farmland sales. Among the properties that sold under his guiding hand is a 32ac residential farm at Brownesgrove about 6.5km from Tuam, Co Galway.

The property includes a two -storey, four bedroom residence with a series of farm buildings and 32ac of land in manageable divisions which adjoins the Brownesgrove road. It sold to a neighbouring farmer for €420,000.

In Kilkerrin near Ballinasloe two neighbouring farmers joined together to buy a 38ac farm of decent ground with road frontage on to two roads. The locals paid €300,000 or almost €7,900/ac for the holding.

BELCLARE SALE

Another sale concluded by Mr Tyrell involved an 84ac farm at Feeragh, Belclare.

Laid out in one division and located 1.6km off the main road the holding is of mixed quality and in need of reclamation works.

Originally part of the Kelville estate it consists of decent grazing ground laid out in a series of nice fields and approached by a private road.

It was grazed by cattle and sheep over the years and it sold to a local buyer for €365,000 or €4,345/ac.

TUAM FARMS

The emergence of farmers clubbing together to buy land is an increasingly common feature of the farmland market this year and two local farmers at Lavally Tuam came together to buy a 47ac residential farm and paid €291,000 for the holding.

A 32ac residential holding at Cummer, 13km from Tuam with a three-bedroom house a series of outbuildings and good lands in one division made in the region of €8,000/ac.

TURLOUGHMORE SALE

A 33ac farm at Lackagh, near Turloughmore laid out in one division attracted three different parties and sold for €280,000 or almost €8,500/ac.

Commenting on the market Mr Tyrell said that quality and location are crucial to a good sale. “If the land is good and the location is right you will have a sale,” he said.

He is very optimistic about farming in Ireland and in the West.

“There has been a visible improvement in the land market since the lift in the price of milk but I must also say that in my 50 years in the business I have seen a huge improvement in the farming practices.

“These young farmers of today are first class in terms of their knowledge, their attitude and the quality of the equipment they invest in,” added Mr Tyrell.