Laois farm tops €14,000 an acre

CASTLECOMER auctioneer, Joseph Coogan, had a good day in the auction room recently when he sold a 47ac farm at Luggacurren in Co Laois for €587,000 making almost €12,500/ac.

Located 11km from Stradbally and 14km from Athy the land is described as good grazing ground and meadowing capable of producing good crops of hay and silage. It sold in two parcels, the first made up of 16ac with road frontage. This opened at €120,000, went on the market at €205,000 and sold for €227,000 making €14,187/ac.

The second lot extending to 31ac with laneway access to the public road sold at €360,000 realising €11,612/ac.

Tipperary auction

In neighbouring Tipperary, Mark Donovan of Tipp town sold a 32ac residential farm at Monard on the Limerick border. The place was bought under the hammer for €370,000 making over €11,500/ac.

Located between Oola and Sologhead the property is 4km from Limerick Junction and 28km from Limerick city.

It is home to an unoccupied two-storey traditional farmhouse in a traditional yard surrounded by what Mark Donovan describes as 32ac of prime Golden Vale lands. Laid out in five fields the place has plenty of road frontage.

On auction day two bidders took to the fray when Mark Donovan accepted a bid of €250,000 to open proceedings. The price on offer quickly rose to €350,000 when it went on the market and at €370,000 the place was bought by an adjoining farmer.

Westmeath

In Co Westmeath, Willie Coonan of Coonan auctioneers Maynooth sold an 83ac farm on the shores of Lake Derravarragh for €650,000 or just under €8,000/ac. The organic farm with an impressive range of sheds and cattle handling facilities is located 2km from Castlepollard and 14km from Mullingar. At auction it opened at €400,000 and four bidders drove the price to €500,000 in €20,000 bids. The size of the increments reduced to €10,000 and €5,000 and with three customers remaining the place was put on the market at €642,000 and sold at €650,000 to a solicitor acting in trust.

At the same auction a 108ac farm at Clonguiffe, Longwood in Co Meath failed to sell but is under active negotiation on the private treaty market.