There were fewer land sales in CO Offaly last year and prices fell. Average price was €10,316/ac, down 9% on the year before. It was a drop of €1,086/ac from the €14,882/ac of 2022.

For our survey we looked at 1,996ac on 39 farms, both figures up on the previous year. We did our calculations on 16 farms which had sold by year end.

Not many auctions are held in Offaly but the ones that were held in 2023 were noteworthy.

James L Murtagh sold the 221ac Kilclare Estate, at Durrow, for €2.2m or €9,954/ac. Matt Dunne & Associates sold the 122ac farm at Newtown, Killeigh, with a cattle yard, for €1.35m or €11,065/ac.

Non-residental holdings

Jordan Auctioneers sold a 48ac holding at Ballystrig for €715,000 or €14,895/ac. Those three farms were non-residential.

REA Eoin Dilon sold a 100ac residential farm at Ballyegan for €1.4m or €14,000/ac.

Coonan Property sold the 458ac Rostella Farm at Kilbeggan after auction. The farm was withdrawn at €4.5m but sold afterwards for a considerably higher figure.

The private treaty sales all saw sales at prices in a tight range of €9,000/ac to €11,000/ac. The dominant category of buyer was business.