The blurring of lines between agricultural land and development land was a familiar occurrence during the ill-fated boom, with development potential prices winning out.

On the outskirts of Bantry in West Cork, a 34-acre farm has just come on the market; one which is as laden with intrigue as to its true value, because it is blessed with the qualities of golden location and top-class land.

‘A very rare opportunity’ is how Midleton-based selling agent David Keane describes the sale of a 109-acre prime roadside holding at Kilcrea, Ovens, Co Cork.

With substantial offers already on the table, a sale is expected to be concluded within the coming week or so, for a 74-acre holding in the townland of Dromerk, just 5km north of Dunmanway, West Cork, according to selling agent John Hodnett in Clonakilty.

With the M8 motorway just a kilometre away, access could hardly be better for a 19-acre holding in the townland of Mondaniel near Fermoy. Added to that is extensive road frontage along its western boundary and a mains water supply.

The colours are nailed to the mast with this horse farm sale at Coolyroe, Kilmeedy, Co. Limerick.

The level of interest for this farm at Leaha, Cordal, Castleisland, has been huge, says Joanne Fleming of Kerry-based, Fleming Auctioneers.

Steady viewing and welcoming vendors have been the order of the day for the substantial, 176-acre Applebe farm at Dawstown, Blarney, which is probably best known as a one-time point-to-point racing location.

A substantial farm sale, north of Dunmanway, Co Cork, is a new private treaty sale with auctioneer Daniel Lehane.

There was great excitement at the sale of some prime farmland at Carrignavar, Co Cork, recently when two young farmers went head to head for the 70-acre grassland farm at Ballybrack, just outside Cork city and in a very intensive dairying area.

PORTIONS of this south Cork farm have been sold over the past ten years, but now 214 acres are for sale in one lot, through joint agents, Ernest Forde, of Hodnett Forde, and Joe McCarthy, of Irish and European, for offers in the region of €1.7m.

Just over a month on the market and a residential farm in Ballingeary, Co Cork, has been sold for a sum above its most optimistic guide price.

In the cold days of 2011 and the unprecedented heating of the farm land market, a substantial 276-acre tillage and grazing farm in south Tipperary failed to go all the way in its historic sale.

A bit of a hardy annual at this stage, the Ballymacus/ Rathmore land at Kinsale, has nevertheless some of the best farmland in the country.

High above the Lee Valley and with views over the rolling countryside of mid-Cork, this dotey little farm at Curraleigh, Inniscarra, hits the market this week with Joe McCarthy of Irish and European.

Farmland prices in England rose by 0.4% in the first three months of the year, having lost 1.7% in the second half of 2011, according to the Knight Frank estate agents.

THE Sisters of Mercy are not departed — or gone.

THE history of this farm at Gortigrenane, Minane Bridge, mirrors the history of the country.