Ireland's development land market recorded its best first-quarter performance in six years, with total sales reaching €121 million in Q1 2025, according to new figures from property advisor Savills Ireland.

The firm was involved in the five largest transactions completed during the period.

A total of 15 transactions were recorded in the quarter, bringing the average deal size to €8.1 million—slightly ahead of the five-year average of €7.2 million. The top five deals accounted for approximately €100 million of the total, with three of these relating to residential sites. In total, residential land sales made up 64% of all activity.

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Most of the deals occurred in Dublin, although notable residential transactions also took place in Kildare, Meath, Louth and Galway.

Two deals this quarter included the sale of approximately 90.3 acres at Balseskin in Finglas, where 29.5 acres were purchased by the Central Bank for €14 million for the development of a new cash centre. Another major sale was a key development site in Baldoyle, North Dublin, acquired by the Land Development Agency (LDA). This site already has planning permission in place for over 1,900 homes. Both transactions were managed by Savills.

Ebba Mowatt, Director of Development Agency & Consultancy at Savills, commented: "The development land market has begun 2025 on a strong footing, marking the best first-quarter performance in six years. That being said, we are still witnessing an acute shortage of land, both with and without planning, meaning sites suitable for development will continue to demand a strong premium. Government policy will be an important tool for ensuring more land is opened up for development in the short-term, but also key to attracting institutional investors back into the market and strengthening housing delivery in the years ahead."