Sports and Arts Projects Set to Drive Growth in Irish Construction

A host of sports and arts projects across Ireland are set to provide a boost for the island’s construction industry.

Community, Hospitality & Sport work is the third largest sector in the Irish construction industry and had a total value of project-starts (schemes under €100 million) of €1.3 billion in 2025 according to research by CIS. Starts are forecast to rise year-on-year by CIS and reach €1.7 billion by 2028 – a rise of 28% from last year.

Yuliana Ivanykovych, senior economist at Hubexo, commented: “The growth in the Community, Hospitality & Sport sector is expected as a result of a robust pipeline that accumulated over the past few years.”

Major sports schemes coming up include the (c.) €20 million Mullingar Regional Sports Complex in Co Westmeath, where plans have been approved and a start on works is due early next spring (View Project).

Smaller schemes in the pipeline include a plan that could cost up to (c.) €2m for sports pitches at Bandon AFC in Co Cork (View Project) to a Centre of Excellence Training Facility at Dublin’s Gaelic Athletic Association’s ground in Templeogue, where the proposal has secured a €6m grant (View Project).

Arts and cultural projects are also progressing from the £50m Ulster Folk Museum (View Project), which could start on site early next year, to a €43m redevelopment of Trinity College Dublin’s Old Library (View Project). The work, which also includes restoration to the Berkeley Library, is expected to start in Dublin next year.

Other cultural schemes in the pipeline include a €12.8m community, tourism and arts hub at Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan, which has funding from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (View Project). The work comprises redevelopment of a former workhouse to provide an arts centre and could start later this year.

Purcell has been appointed main contractor for the first phase of the €173.2m Parnell Square (View Project) and should start work later this year. Designed by architects Hawkins/Brown, the scheme will include a new city library, restoration of Georgian houses along Parnell Square North and integration between the 1930s Hugh Lane Gallery through Charlemont House to the new library.

Northern Irish Stadia Boost

A boost in sports projects in Northern Ireland is in the works.

Although plans for a £270m redevelopment of Belfast’s Casement Park stadium are being scaled back (View Project), the €22m Templemore Sports Complex in Derry could be on site by next spring (View Project).

A host of smaller schemes are also set for a funding boost. There were 38 applicants to the Northern Ireland Football Fund and 20 projects with a total cost of £82m were shortlisted.

There is a pot of £36.2m for club projects costing or £6m or more, such as a £15m redevelopment of Glentoran FC’s Oval Stadium in Belfast (View Project). Another 13 projects costing from £1.5m up to £6m are shortlisted including replacement grandstands at Carrick Rangers (View Project) and Larne (View Project), plus five smaller schemes.

The funding has been delayed by a legal challenge from Crusaders and Derry City and Crusaders, whose plans such as the latter’s replacement grandstand were not shortlisted. The imminent verdict of a judicial review could unlock the funding.

Strong Outlook for Sports and Arts Construction

With a swathe of work in the pipeline, the sports and arts sectors should give the Irish construction industry a fillip over the next couple of years.