When two farmers dig in their heels and go hell for leather, anything can happen in the auction room. Cue the dramatic proceeding at the Horse and Hound Hotel last Friday.

The excellent 57 acres at Ballynabola near New Ross was guided for €12,000/acre and while locals did expect a fruitful sale, the final price was far beyond such expectation.

Bidding opening on the day at €500,000 and two interested parties, a local farmer and a solicitor, drove the price to €910,000. At this point the solicitor withdrew and the auction was paused to allow for consultation with the vendors. When the auction resumed the property was put on the market at €910,000, with the firm presumption that the local farmer would close the deal.

However, a new bidder sprung a surprise on the auction, entering the race once the holding was put onto the market. This local farmer drove the price beyond the €1m mark, where it settled at €1.05m after being bought by the original local bidder.

The package finished at €18,453/acre. It was offered by auctioneer David Quinn of Quinn Property.

The holding

Located along the N25, the main New Ross to Wexford road, this package is a roadside holding. The farm itself is laid out in five large divisions and has been in tillage for a number of years. Currently, the majority of the land is in stubble after corn, with one field in broken ground after potatoes.

The parcel has extensive frontage onto a local road and there is also access via a shared laneway.

According to Quinn, the lands are free-draining and of excellent quality, suited to any agricultural use. However, for a livestock farmer the land would require work, such as fencing and reseeding.

Given the road frontage and location, there is potential for a residential dwelling into the future, pending planning permission. The property was guided at between €10,000-€12,000/acre, so the final price of €18,500/acre makes this an extraordinary success.

Interest was steady for the lands, with the good location and land quality evidently contributing to the bumper sale.

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