A 21.5ac organic farm at Nicharee, Duncormick, Co Wexford, was knocked down at €227,000 by Kehoe & Associates auctioneers in an online auction on Tuesday, 29 September.
Three active bidders took part in the auction of the roadside holding, which comprises 8ac of forestry, 5ac of tillage, and 8.5ac of grass.
Opening at €175,000, 37 bids flew in over 10 minutes, with two main bidders dominating the action, pushing the price to €227,000, the point at which the hammer eventually came down.
Money set for good use
Having been donated to the parish by the Considine family, who have farmed the land as part of their larger holding for 70 years, the parcel was being auctioned to fund roof repairs at the Church of The Assumption and St Laurence O'Toole in Rathangan.
The land, which underwent organic conversion 15 years ago, is in very good condition and has produced oats under contract for Flahavans in the past.
Originally guided at €165,000, the farm attracted strong interest pre-auction from buyers drawn in by the quality of the ground and site potential for a one-off residence, subject to planning.
Speaking after the sale, Michael Doran, who is chair of the pastoral council at the church, said: "We had a reserve of €165,000 that the auctioneer had put on it, so we were hoping that we would achieve €200,000. To get €227,000 is a massive boost for us."
Michael said the parish is very thankful to the Considine family.
"It's very humbling that someone would actually be prepared to come forward with a gesture like this," he said, "and from our point of view, we're delighted that it achieved the price that it did, because it helps to really turn that gift into something substantial to help us on our journey of fundraising."
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