As the Irish property markets begins to show signs of growth, three bedroom homes went under the hammer for $40,000 in Co. Monaghan this weekend.

The homes were sold at an auction at an unfinished housing estate at Knock-Carrick, Annyalla, in Co. Monaghan.

The 11 homes went on sale Saturday on a first-come-first-serve basis. On Friday night house hunters queued outside the properties.

Mother of three Ciara Downey was number one in the queue.

She told the Mirror: “We could see that there was a lot of interest in these houses. There were many cars from Dublin and from Northern Ireland driving in and out here looking at them.  

“We didn’t want to wake up here one morning and see that a queue had already started so we wanted to try and get local people already living here to queue to buy these houses as they are priced so well. That is why we are here."

According to the Irish Times Gunne Auctioneers sold four bedroom homes for $52,700 (€39,000).

Semi detached homes in the housing estate were originally priced between $317,000 (€235,000) and €324,000 when they were built in 2005/2006.