The Irish Construction Excellence Awards (ICE Awards) announced the winners of the 2026 season at Ireland’s largest construction industry social event on 28 May in the CCD.

Established in 1993, the ICE Awards are recognised as the premier benchmark for construction excellence in Ireland, celebrating outstanding achievement in project delivery, innovation, sustainability, quality and collaboration. The awards span a broad range of categories, including Residential, Civil Engineering, Commercial, Industrial, Healthcare and Education, alongside specialist awards recognising Health, Safety & Wellbeing, Construction Products, Third-Level Education and Industry Contribution. The Future Leader category, introduced in 2025, continues to highlight emerging talent within the sector.

This year’s winners represent some of the most significant and innovative projects delivered across Ireland over the past year, reflecting the diversity, ambition and excellence of the Irish construction industry. With more than 1,300 industry leaders and professionals gathering, the ICE Awards gala continues to be construction’s biggest annual social event.

Notable winners included:

• Civil Engineering Project Over €50 Million – Rosslare Europort Terminal 7 and Enabling Works, John Paul Construction

• Residential Private Development Over €30 Million – Belmayne, John Sisk & Son Ltd

• Residential Social & Affordable Housing – Fior Uisce, Mitchelstown, Michael M. Lyons Building Contractors Ltd and Cork County Council

• Project of the Year – Project Connect, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), delivered by Bennett Construction

• Industry Contribution Award – Tom Costello

Among the residential winners, sponsored by Dulux, was John Sisk & Son, the Residential Private Development Over €30 Million category for Belmayne, a landmark 258-home apartment development in north Dublin delivered for Kajima and Bartra. Comprising six apartment blocks ranging from four to six storeys, the development includes extensive resident amenities such as a gym, media room, workspaces, concierge services and landscaped communal areas. The scheme was recognised by the judges for its quality of delivery, scale and contribution to addressing housing demand.

Opening the awards ceremony, ICE Awards judge Emer Byrne reflected on the role construction professionals play in shaping modern Ireland. “Every office, every home, every hospital, every place we learn exists because of people like you,” she told the audience.

“Tonight, we are not just celebrating projects — we are celebrating the people who build the world around us.”

A Special Award was also presented on the night. The Project of the Year award provided the construction industry and members of the public with the opportunity to vote for their favourite project from the qualifying Irish project finalists. More than 30,000 votes were cast, presented by Andrew Brownlee, CEO, Construction Industry Federation (CIF), the winning project was Project Connect. A transformative new education and research building for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). Located on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin, the seven-storey, 13,000 square metre facility replaces an outdated office block and residential units with a state-of-the-art environment that supports advanced research, teaching and collaboration.

Tom Costello was presented with the Industry Construction Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Ireland’s construction sector. Widely respected across the industry, Costello has played a significant role in advancing construction excellence, professional standards, innovation and collaboration throughout his career. The award acknowledges his long-standing commitment to the development of the Irish construction industry and his enduring impact on the sector’s growth and success.

The Future Leader Awards, sponsored by Skillnet MMC Accelerate, recognised the next generation of industry talent whose innovation, leadership and technical expertise are helping to shape the future of Ireland’s built environment. This year’s winners were Barry Foote of Reddy Architecture + Urbanism (Architecture/Architectural Technology), Gavin Callaghan of Murphy (Engineering) and Jack Hanrahan of Duggan Brothers (Contractors) Limited (Project Management/Surveying).

Kevin McGahern provided his inimitable talents as Master of Ceremonies for the gala awards presentation.

The winners were selected by an independent panel of expert judges drawn from across Ireland’s construction, engineering and property sectors, all project construction categories have an interview stage included, where finalists meet and present to the judges face to face.

The ICE Awards acknowledges the ongoing support of its sponsors, many of who have supported the competition for years. The sponsors are well-known names in the industry, delivering quality products and services to construction in Ireland.

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

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

To view the full list of winners and a photo gallery from the event, visit www.iceawards.ie.