55a Kildare farm fetches €1.06m at auction

Some of the land of the 55-acre farm sold at auction, Thomastown, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare.

Another top-class piece of Kildare land was sold at auction last week on Wednesday September 23rd at the Keadeen Hotel in Newbridge.

The 55-acre farm was featured on these pages on the 27th of August last and included some interesting possibilities for the new successful owners.

The property was sold jointly by Leinster Marts and Newbridge-based Jordan Auctioneers. It was presented in two lots – separate from one another but in close proximity.

Lot 1 consisted of 50.5 acres, including a derelict cottage and farm buildings. It had a pre-auction guide of €500,000; Lot 2 was a 4.5-acre parcel with a guide of €70,000. Lot 3 was the entire holding, guiding €570,000 (€10,400/acre).

“It’s an excellent opportunity to acquire a quality holding in one of County Kildare’s most sought-after farming districts,” said joint selling agent Clive Kavanagh of Jordan Auctioneers in advance of the auction. “It’s an executor sale, presenting an opportunity for farmers wishing to expand or investors seeking a quality landholding or indeed any purchasers looking for a property with future potential.”

The farm, near the village of Kilcullen, is right in the heart of one of Ireland’s leading agricultural and bloodstock regions, enjoying “all the advantages of a renowned farming location, while benefitting from excellent transport links and accessibility.”

With strong interest in advance of the auction, there was a large attendance on the day.

“It was evident from the outset that there was considerable interest in the property,” says Clive, “both in individual lots and as an entire.

“Bidding on Lot 1 concluded at €860,000 (€17,000/acre), while Lot 2 reached €160,000. With the two lots standing at a combined €1,020,000, bidding for the entire holding continued and ultimately superseded the individual lot prices, with the hammer falling on a figure of €1,060,000. The result equates to just shy of €20,000 per acre across the overall holding.

“The sale represents a significant result for the joint selling agents,” continued Clive, “and demonstrated the strong level of demand for quality agricultural land in this part of County Kildare.”