After a dip in 2022, farmland prices in Laois have resumed their generally upwards path of recent years.

The average price last year was €16,359/ac, up 28% or €3,587/ac on 2022. The top price paid was €27,451/ac.

The supply of land for sale was broadly the same as 2022. We examined 947ac on 30 holdings.

We based our calculations on 17 sales, down from 19 the previous year. A notable feature was the number of good holdings offered for sale by public auction. Most resulted in a sale, many of them under the hammer.

Land quality

Land quality is more uniform in Laois than in other counties. Most farms and parcels of good land sell within the €12,000/ac to €18,000/ac range.

Among the notable sales last year, Joe Coogan Auctioneers sold a 51ac residential holding in Errill under the hammer for €1.4m or €27,450/ac.

A number of bigger farms were also auctioned. Jordan Auctioneers sold 83ac and a bungalow at Clonygowan for €1.22m or €14,698/ac. Savills sold 88ac at Srah by auction for €975,000 or €11,079/ac.