It was a busy year in the Kerry land market with more land put up for sale and more land sold, but prices were down.

For our survey we looked at some 100 farms with a total of 6,457ac, an increase of 3,741ac on 2022. We based our calculation on 37 farms.

Average price was €10,476/ac, down 3.5% or €386/ac. Farm size made a difference.

Half the farms were under 40ac in size and these averaged €9,907ac on sale. Larger farms averaged €10,959/ac.

This is the second year in a row that price has fallen.

Poor weather, lower milk prices, high input costs and high tax bills were all factors.

Another is that few large trophy farms came on the market.

Exception

One exception was 137.8ac at Ballybroman, with a nice house, which was sold by Gary O’Driscoll Auctioneers by private treaty. The price was disclosed and was approximately €2.7m or €19,590/ac for the farm located close to Ardfert.

Stuart & Co Auctioneers sold 49ac at Farranfore at auction for €17,857/ac. This farm had a derelict house.

Other strong sales included the 90ac at Ballysheen, Abbeydorney and the 80ac at West Commons sold by Ger Carmody Auctioneers. These were private treaty sales but they commanded strong prices.

Against that, a number of other holdings over 100ac that sold were rough grazing and mountain land and fetched well under the county average.

Across large parts of the county, holdings of 20ac to 40ac are selling in the €9,000/ac to €12,000/ac range.