The standard of excellence across Ireland’s construction sector continues to rise — and the Irish Construction Excellence Awards 2026 (ICE Awards 2026) finalists are clear evidence of an industry operating at the highest level.

Following a rigorous evaluation process, this year’s shortlist reflects a breadth of achievement spanning infrastructure, commercial development, residential delivery, public works, innovation, digital construction and health and wellbeing. From complex landmark projects to transformative community-focused initiatives, the calibre of entries once again demonstrates why the Irish Construction Excellence Awards (ICE Awards) are regarded as the benchmark for performance excellence in the built environment.

Each year, the ICE Awards bring together contractors, engineers, architects, surveyors, clients and specialist partners to recognise not just delivery, but leadership, collaboration and long-term impact. As Awards Director Colin Walsh has stated, the ICE Awards represent the point where “vision meets execution”, celebrating those who go beyond industry standards to redefine them.

Reaching finalist stage is a significant achievement in itself. It represents independent validation from the most experienced and diverse judging panels in the industry — a peer-reviewed process that underpins the credibility and prestige of the awards.

Celebrating excellence  – 28 May, Convention Centre Dublin

The ICE Awards is delighted to welcome Kevin McGahern as the Gala MC for 2026. Kevin has been performing stand-up since 2009 and is a familiar face on Irish TV.

Colin expressed his excitement for the upcoming Gala saying, “On behalf of the ICE Awards team and myself, I wish the finalists the very best of luck. We are really looking forward to celebrating your achievements at the ICE Awards 2026 Gala, taking place at the Convention Centre Dublin on 28 May.” Fondly referred to as ‘Construction’s Big Night Out,’ this event is set to be another truly spectacular evening, recognising the hard work and excellence within the industry. “We are delighted to have Kevin McGahern as our host, and look forward to reconnecting with familiar faces and welcoming first-time attendees at the Gala,” Colin added.

Limited tickets for the ICE Awards 2026 Gala are available for general attendance. Visit www.ICEAwards.ie to book.

Judging excellence

The ICE Awards Judging Process aligns with and, in many cases, exceeds best practice internationally. This makes the ICE Awards distinctive in rigour and prestige.

The ICE Awards Judging Process is multi-level with a team of judges reviewing every entry and scoring with their expertise in mind. The construction project and initiative finalists now move to the interview stage where they will meet the expert Judges for a round of face-to-face interviews, make a presentation and have Q&A sessions. This level of engagement reaffirms the credibility and effort required by the entrants to win these prestigious awards.

The ICE Awards 2026 are assessed by an expert panel of distinguished professionals drawn from across the full spectrum of the AEC disciplines, ensuring a fair, robust and peer-reviewed evaluation process. The 2026 judging panel comprises Emma Hayes, BIM Consultant; PJ Rudden, Civil and Environmental Engineer; John McGowan, Chartered Engineer; Keith Elliott, Project Manager; Mary C. Flynn, Quantity Surveyor and BIM Manager; Dr Derek Sinnott, Chartered Engineer and Management Consultant; Dorothy Jones, Project Manager; Phelim Devine, Chartered Engineer; Marcella Murphy, Executive Manager; Clement Kavanagh, Project Director; Damien Kilgannon, Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager; Tim Segal, Lecturer and BIM Coordinator; Emer Byrne, Chartered Valuation Surveyor and Lecturer; Gerard Harvey, Architect; Brian Kavanagh, Chartered Engineer; Marion Ní Chadhain, Chartered Surveyor and Property Services Manager; Kieran O’Neill, Health and Safety Consultant; Gerard P. Monaghan, Chartered Engineer and Arbitrator; Dr Daniel O’Neill, Procurement Project Manager; Yvonne Murphy, Civil Engineer and Project Manager; Martin Searson, MMC Certification Professional; Paul O’Shea, Risk Consultant; Donal Hutchinson, Chartered Engineer; and Charles Mitchell, Quantity Surveying Technical Advisor. Collectively, the panel represents decades of experience across engineering, architecture, surveying, digital construction, procurement, sustainability, risk management and major project delivery, underpinning the credibility and prestige of the awards.

Sponsors

The ICE Awards acknowledge the ongoing support of its sponsors, many of whom have been supporting the competition for some years.

Gold Sponsors: Sika Ireland, Autodesk Construction Cloud™, Construction Industry Federation (CIF), NTI Diatec Group, Howden, Skillnet MMC Accelerate, Dulux Trade

Silver Sponsors: CPAS, Pipelife, Lumen Search, Lean Construction Ireland (LCi), Irish building magazine.

Click here to view the 2026 Finalists and read more about the ICE Awards Judges and Sponsors.