A suckler farmer outbid a dairy and a pedigree farmer in north Galway recently. In doing so, the farmer paid €315,000 for 23 acres of grassland. This equates to a substantial €13,700/ac. Putting this in context, Galway’s average land price in 2018 was just under €6,800/ac, so the price recorded at auction near Headford was double the county’s average.

The farm was located in Liss, near Headford. The 23 acres were the first of two lots offered for auction on the day.

The second lot, a seven-acre parcel in the middle of Caherlistrane village, also sold exceptionally well, making €150,000, or over €20,000/ac. However, this figure is skewed by the development potential of this small lot.

The sale was handled by agent Pat Burke of Headford Mart. Describing the sale as a local record, he commented on the competitive nature of the auction.

The auction

Lot one, or the 23 acres, opened at auction at €150,000, or €6,500/ac. Three bidders got stuck into and the price soon moved to €270,000, or €11,700/ac, before it was put on the market.

There were three bidders on the farm – a dairy farmer, a pedigree farmer and a suckler farmer. The suckler and dairy farmer battled until the farm exceeded €300,000, before the hammer finally fell at €315,000 or €13,700/ac.

The second lot was withdrawn from auction at €145,000 as it did not meet its reserve. It was sold after the auction for €150,000, the agent confirmed. The auction took place in the Anglers Rest Hotel.