Ireland's Biggest Construction Projects in 2026

Ireland’s 2026 Construction Revolution: The Projects Set to Redefine the Nation

In cities, towns, and transport corridors across Ireland, 2026 is not just another year - it’s the year the nation starts building its future in earnest.

From the €9.5 billion metro rail that will transform how Dublin moves, to housing schemes breaking ground in long-neglected communities, to airport infrastructure that supports millions of passengers, Ireland has entered a new era of construction. These are projects with timelines measured in decades, not months. These are the sites that will change how we live, work and commute and where thousands of careers will be built.

Here’s the story of the top 10 construction projects shaping Ireland in 2026 - the status, the scale, the players, and what it all means.

1. MetroLink Dublin - A €9.5bn Journey Begins

Ireland’s most ambitious transport build of the century is finally moving off the drawing board.

The long-championed MetroLink, a 19 km automated metro rail line connecting Swords in the north to Charlemont in the city centre via Dublin Airport, has secured planning approval and early funding clearance under Ireland’s National Development Plan.
Government ministers have repeatedly called it a “nation-building project”, intended to carry up to ~50 million passengers a year and support 31,700 new homes along its corridor.

2026 will see major procurement and preparatory works begin, with international heavyweights like Alstom already involved in early bid consortia for tunnelling, rail systems and civil works.

This project, spanning tunnelling, stations, electrification and signalling will shape transport infrastructure delivery through the end of the decade.

2. Dublin Airport Underpass - Building Beneath Active Runways

While MetroLink grabs headlines, another €265 million civil job at Dublin Airport is quietly redefining underground construction in Ireland.

The 1.1 km twin-cell underpass, located beneath active runways, will improve apron access for service vehicles and cargo traffic, a necessity after the 2022 opening of the airport’s new north runway.

With work awarded to a joint venture between Sacyr Ireland Ltd and Wills Bros Ltd, and construction scheduled through 2030, this project combines precision engineering with complex logistics. 

3. An Droichead Órga - Dublin 8’s Big Residential Bet (€125m)

In the beating heart of Dublin 8, a high-density mixed-use site is about to rise from brownfield to bustling neighbourhood.

An Droichead Órga, featuring 578 apartments, community space, a creche and library will be built to NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) standards, representing a shift toward sustainability in residential delivery.

The project has been awarded to Elliott Group, supported by designers DBFL and contractors Mitchell McDermott. Construction kicks off in early 2026 and will run for about two years.

4. Donore Residential Development (€111m)

Just around the corner, another wave of housing will rise.

The Donore project in Dublin 8 comprises 543 apartments, a creche, parking and leisure facilities all coming online with construction through early 2027.

Main works awarded to John Paul Construction and Project management by KSN Project Management

This is part of a broader trend of high-density urban living, responding to demand for accessible city homes.

5. Wexford Town Housing Expansion - Regional Growth, Strategic Planning

Beyond the capital, Wexford is gearing up for major residential growth in line with its status as a strategic “Key Town” in the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy.

Under the Wexford County Development Plan 2022 - 2028 aligned with national housing objectives planners are forecasting significant new housing delivery through 2026 and beyond.

As part of the national Housing for All Action Plan, the county council is also seeking expressions of interest from private developers and contractors for social and affordable housing land and turnkey units, pushing toward delivering at least 1,150 social homes by 2026 locally.

Projects tendered include mid-size residential schemes like Cois Mara in Rosslare Strand by Bawn Developments Ltd., featuring dozens of houses and apartments with community space.

Taken together, these local efforts reflect Ireland’s broad policy drive to increase housing delivery across regions as well as cities.

6. Land Development Agency (LDA) Pipeline - Scaling Housing Delivery

Ireland’s Land Development Agency continues to bring strategic public land into the market for housing. While individual sites vary, the LDA’s framework is slated to deliver hundreds to thousands of homes across multiple counties, aligned with national housing targets.

The agency’s role is central to government commitments to ramp up housing, helping bridge the gap between state planning, private delivery and community needs.

7. Rosslare Offshore Renewable Energy Hub (€220m) - A Green Energy Gateway

Nestled at Rosslare Europort in County Wexford is another transformation - this time for renewable energy.

The planned Rosslare Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub represents a €220 million major port and logistics development designed to support Ireland’s offshore wind sector and its national target of 5 GW installed offshore wind capacity by 2030.

Led by Iarnród Éireann as the port authority, the project’s planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála will create:

• Two new heavy-lift berths

• Expanded storage and assembly areas

• A 64-berth small craft harbour

• New access roads, utilities and dredged navigation channels
  
  

Together, these elements will help service up to 0.5-1 GW of offshore wind capacity annually, and are expected to support ~2,000 jobs spanning construction, operations and maintenance.

While planning and design continue through late 2025 into 2026, the aim is to begin construction in early 2027 with delivery targeted by early 2029, positioning Rosslare at the heart of Ireland’s clean energy future. 

8. Moyross Railway Station - Regional Rail for Limerick

Infrastructure doesn’t stop at cities. A new rail station planned for Moyross, Limerick is poised to improve connectivity and support urban regeneration, with earlier planning approvals pointing toward 2026 construction starts.

Regional transport investments like this continue the shift toward sustainable, integrated travel networks across Ireland.

9. Casement Park Redevelopment - Historic Stadium Reimagined (£260m+)

In Belfast, the long-delayed Casement Park redevelopment is back in motion.

Once earmarked as part of the UEFA Euro 2028 stadium roster, the project’s completion timeline was pushed back after funding and planning delays. Recent backing including a £50 million UK government contribution and a €43 million Irish government pledge under the Shared Island Programme has reignited progress, and site enabling and demolition works are set to begin in early 2026.

With a proposed 34,500-seat capacity and a vision for community, cultural and sporting uses, this redevelopment is as much about economic and social regeneration as it is about sport. 

10. Celtic Interconnector - 700 MW Power Link to Europe

Underneath the waves between Ireland and Finistère, France, the Celtic Interconnector, a 575 km high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable is being laid as part of a flagship energy infrastructure project.

Expected to provide 700 MW of capacity and a first-of-its-kind electricity link between Ireland and continental Europe, the interconnector has already seen subsea cable laying begin, and remains on track for commissioning around 2028.

The interconnector is widely regarded by EirGrid’s leadership as one of Ireland’s most strategically important infrastructure investments this decade, tying energy markets together and strengthening Ireland’s energy security

A Defining Year for Construction

2026 isn’t just another construction year, it's the year when plans meet earthworks, budgets become pipelines, and Ireland’s future takes shape in steel and concrete.

Across transport, housing, energy and civic infrastructure, the scale and diversity of these projects reflect a nation building not just for today, but for decades to come.

Thinking About Your Next Project?

At Breagh Recruitment, we work closely with contractors and developers delivering Ireland’s most important construction projects matching professionals with sites that genuinely move their careers forward.

Whether you’re looking for:

• A flagship infrastructure project

• Long-term regional work

• Or a step up in responsibility
  
  

The right project can change everything.