A 28ac block of land at Gortagass, Kenmare, Co Kerry fetched almost €36,000/ac when it was knocked down for €1,004,000 by Tadhg O’Sullivan of DNG Timothy O’Sullivan auctioneers on Wednesday 16 September.

Originally guided at €17,000/ac, the farm, which is five kilometres from Kenmare town and benefits from extensive road frontage, brought about fierce competition between several bidders during the online auction, driving a total of 252 bids.

The holding, which comprises a single parcel of good-quality, free-draining land with a reliable water supply from two bounding rivers, generated strong pre-auction interest.

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Laid out in a single block, the land is bounded by two rivers, offering a reliable water supply.

Tadhg O'Sullivan said the sale "reflects the nature of the land and the shortage of that type of land around the area. It was an exceptional result.

“Demand is strong in the area for any ground, particularly good ground. There are plenty of buyers there.”

The successful bidder is believed to be a local farmer with some business interests. He is delighted with his purchase and intends to continue farming the land.

The unit price of €35,800/ac is 266% more than the average county price of €9,775/ac, according to the Irish Farmers Journal Land Report.