Mullingar-based auctioneers Murtagh Bros conducted a pair of successful online auctions last week, which resulted in two farmers adding to their existing holdings.

First up on Thursday 31 October was a 44ac residential farm at Pass of Kilbride, Milltownpass, Co Westmeath.

Containing a spacious two-storey house with four bedrooms, along with a well-maintained yard nearby, it attracted significant interest before the auction.

The house drew a lot of attention prior to the sale and consists of a two-story dwelling with four bedrooms.

The land to the rear of the house is all in pasture and is suited to any farming enterprise.

A well maintained yard with an array of buildings is situated to the rear of the dwelling.

It's location, on the outskirts of the village of Milltownpass, a short distance from the Kinnegad M4/M6 junction, also appealed to potential buyers.

The pre-sale interest translated into solid bids when the auction got under way, before the hammer fell at €820,000. That price put it over €18,600/ac (€18636/ac).

There were a number of mulit-use livestock accommodation sheds in the yard.

Auctioneer Dillon Murtagh reported that the successful purchaser was a farmer. The underbidder, while not engaged in farming, had strong agricultural interests.

Farmer's farm

The following day's auction on Friday 1 November was an all-farming affair, as a number of farmers bid on a 28ac grassland farm about 1km from Rathconrath village.

Dillon had described it ahead of the sale as a real farmer's farm and reported a very competitive online auction with a number of committed bidders.

The land at Rathconrath, Mullingar, Co Westmeath is all in one block with one larger field and a number of smaller divisions to the rear.

Guided ahead of the sale at €275,000, after a keen contest the hammer fell at €296,000. This equates to just over €10,500/ac (€10,571/ac).

There is also a three-bay slatted shed on the property.

The land, all in one block and in grass, also had a three-bay slatted cattle shed sited towards the rear of the holding, which is accessed by a hardcore farm laneway.