![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/5RGT3GP6PZCTPL36VMQSPPHFPY.jpg\")
John Coleman recently renewed his contract to lead the agency for a further three years <\/p>\nIreland\u2019s two biggest housebuilders are the listed companies Cairn Homes and Glenveagh, followed by Joe O\u2019Reilly\u2019s development company Castlethorn, Cork developer Michael O\u2019Flynn and Texan-backed Irish builder Evara. <\/p>\n
Beyond the top five developers in Ireland, other notable firms include Harcourt Developments and Johnny Ronan\u2019s former business partner Richard Barrett and his firm Bartra.<\/p>\n
Pat Crean\u2019s development company Marlet has a track record in large-scale apartment delivery in Dublin, as does the Cotter family\u2019s Park Developments, which has projects underway in Dublin and Cork. <\/p>\n
Sean Mulryan\u2019s Ballymore also has a long-established record, building 15,000 home in Ireland over a number of decades and last year announced plans to build up to 4,000 more.<\/p>\n
In addition, other players in the market are building scale that will likely push them into the top tier of developers in the coming years:<\/p>\n
Land Development Agency <\/p>\n
Led by: John Coleman, chief executive<\/b><\/p>\n
Pipeline: 27,000 homes<\/b><\/p>\n
John Coleman recently renewed his contract to lead the agency for a further three years <\/p>\n
The State\u2019s affordable home builder, led by John Coleman, has largely been a sleeping giant in the homebuilding sector since it was set up in 2018, but now appears primed to become the biggest residential developer in the state.<\/p>\n
The Land Development Agency<\/a> (LDA), which does not have an in-house construction team, has a pipeline of close to 27,000 homes that will be delivered through partnerships with private developers and contractors. <\/p>\n The land for almost 15,000 of those homes has been amassed by the LDA through more than half-a-dozen private land deals since the middle of 2023. The remainder of its sites were transferred to it by other State agencies.<\/p>\n Coleman, who recently renewed his contract at the agency to lead it for a further three years, has forecast the LDA\u2019s annual output will rise to more than 2,500 homes by 2027 and more than 3,000 in 2028, which would make it the country\u2019s largest producer of homes.<\/p>\n The agency has been granted access to up to \u20ac8.75 billion of funding from the State to deliver upon its housing programme and it plans to borrow up to \u20ac1 billion from the European Investment Bank<\/a> to fund its delivery of new homes.<\/p>\n D\/Res Properties <\/p>\n Led by: Patrick Durkan<\/b><\/p>\n Pipeline: 6,000 homes<\/b><\/p>\n The private development firm, founded by Patrick Durkan and Lone Star in 2018, has received significant backing in the past year that has helped scale up its housing pipeline to 6,000 homes. <\/p>\n Last year, a fund managed by US investor Avenue Capital, which received \u20ac150 million of backing from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, invested \u20ac27.5 million to take a minority stake in the Dublin-based residential builder. <\/p>\n That backing was given to D\/Res to fund the acquisition of two sites in the Greater Dublin Area with capacity for 1,000 homes. In March, the company completed a \u20ac70 million deal to buy a 21-hectare site that borders Edmondstown Golf Club in Dublin 16 and the M50.<\/p>\n There were signs of further momentum at the business in May when D\/Res Properties announced the launch of a joint venture with construction firm Sisk.<\/p>\n Called Arden, into which they have invested \u20ac32 million, it has plans to develop 1,000 social and affordable homes a year. Its first 635-home project called Foothills in Killinarden, south Dublin, will be delivered in partnership with South Dublin County Council. <\/p>\n The most recent accounts for the D\/Res Properties group show revenues rose 46 per cent to \u20ac135.3 million in the year that ended June 2025, while after-tax profits were up eight-fold to \u20ac2.8 million.<\/p>\n Lioncor<\/p>\n Led by: Marcus Ryan, chief executive<\/b><\/p>\n Pipeline: 5,400 homes<\/b><\/p>\n Lioncor<\/a>, a joint venture between US investor Oaktree and Dublin-based Alanis Capital, sits just around the edges of the country\u2019s top 10 home builders in terms of annual output, with 521 homes delivered in 2025.<\/p>\n The company led by Marcus Ryan will likely solidify its position in the top tier in the coming years as it has some large projects under construction, including at the Glass Bottle Site, Dublin.<\/p>\n The firm is co-developing the project, which is expected to deliver about 4,000 homes, with Johnny Ronan\u2019s Ronan Group. So far in 2026 it has built 352 apartments across two separate buildings on the Ringsend site, with a further 323 expected to be finished this year. <\/p>\n Lioncor\u2019s owner Oaktree holds an 83.3 per cent stake in Pembroke Beach, the venture behind the Glass Bottle Site. Ronan Group has an 11.7 per cent stake, with the remaining 5 per cent owned by Lioncor.<\/p>\n Later this year, the company plans to start more homes at the Dublin 4 site and a 364-apartment and 21-house project called Fortfield in Terenure, Dublin. Next year, Lioncor has forecast it will complete a further 471 homes. <\/p>\n Lydon<\/p>\n Led by: directors Anthony, Pearse, Mairtin and Conor Lydon<\/b><\/p>\n Pipeline: 4,000 homes<\/b><\/p>\n The company set up by Martin and Patricia Lydon in 1977 is now being run by the next generation of the family.<\/p>\n Anthony, Pearse, Mairtin and Conor Lydon all hold senior roles at the family business, which has close to 2,000 homes under construction now across Dublin, Meath<\/a> and Kildare<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lydon has done some large deals with State entities in recent years to sell and develop homes for social and affordable housing, including a partnership with the LDA on its Priory Fields housing estate in Skerries, Co Dublin, to deliver 345 homes on the site.<\/p>\n This year the company also disclosed it has entered a partnership deal with Michael McElligott\u2019s Tetrarch Capital to co-develop 49 hectares of land in south Dublin.<\/p>\n The company has been selected by Tetrarch to deliver on part of the lands called Sacra North, which have capacity for about 1,000 homes.<\/p>\n Other notable projects Lydon has in its pipeline include a 500-home development in Ashbourne, Co Meath, and one in Kilcarbery Grange in Clondalkin, Dublin 22.<\/p>\n The latter project is a joint venture between Lydon and developer Michael Whelan, which has made them good returns so far. Recent accounts showed after-tax profits at the venture rose from \u20ac8 million to \u20ac14.2 million in 2024. The partners extracted an \u20ac8.4 million dividend from the profits.<\/p>\n Kennedy Wilson<\/p>\n Led by: Peter McKenna, head of development<\/b><\/p>\n Pipeline: 3,400 homes<\/b><\/p>\n US landlord Kennedy Wilson<\/a> has gradually grown its portfolio of 3,500 rental homes in Ireland through some large apartment projects it built in recent years.<\/p>\n The company delivered close to 500 apartments as part of its Coopers Cross development in Dublin\u2019s Docklands and a further 500 units in the Stillorgan area at its developments, The Grange and The Cornerstone.<\/p>\n In recent months, the US landlord, which was recently taken private as part of a $1.5 billion (\u20ac1.3 billion) deal, revealed plans to almost double its portfolio in Ireland. <\/p>\n The company has formed a \u20ac2 billion residential joint venture with Dutch pension fund APG to develop 3,400 rental homes in Ireland. In all, 2,300 of these apartments will be built on the Player Wills and Bailey Gibson sites on Dublin\u2019s South Circular Road and the former Clonliffe College lands. It has already begun construction on part of the Player Wills site, which will include a 19-storey residential tower.<\/p>\n Latest financials for Kennedy Wilson, which has $36 billion of assets globally, show its Irish operation has 3,500 apartments, with average rent in its portfolio at \u20ac2,500 a month.<\/p>\n Ardstone<\/p>\n Led by: Donal O\u2019Neill, chief executive<\/b><\/p>\n Pipeline: 2,500 homes<\/b><\/p>\n Irish-owned real estate investor Ardstone has a portfolio of more than 3,000 residential units in Ireland, valued at around \u20ac1.4 billion. Based on recent deals, it is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.<\/p>\n The company has land capable of delivering 2,500 homes, which are at various stages of the development process.<\/p>\n Last year, it spent \u20ac25 million to acquire an eight-hectare, residentially-zoned site in Clondalkin with capacity for 1,400 homes. Ardstone chief executive Donal O\u2019Neill said at the time it planned to start construction there in 2027.<\/p>\n The company also owns the Jesuit Order\u2019s former Milltown Park campus in Dublin 6, which it bought for \u20ac65 million in 2019. Ardstone has faced a number of appeals and threats to legal challenge to its plans to build a large apartment scheme on the land.<\/p>\n Its latest plan to deliver 562 apartments on the site was approved by Dublin City Council<\/a> in April, but has been appealed.<\/p>\n Ardstone was co-founded by O\u2019Neill and veteran property investor Donal Mulcahy in 2005. Mulcahy exited the business in 2023.<\/p>\n Lagan Homes Ireland<\/p>\n Led by: Chris Carroll, managing director<\/b><\/p>\n Pipeline: 2,300 homes<\/b><\/p>\n The Dublin-based business was established in 2017 following the sale of Northern Irish building materials group Lagan in a \u00a3455 million (\u20ac527 million) deal.<\/p>\n Lagan Group has reinvested the proceeds into its development company in the Republic, which is owned by Kevin Lagan and his son Peter.<\/p>\n Lagan Homes Ireland, which has 2,300 homes in its pipeline, has forecast it will complete 380 homes this year across sites in Meath, Louth<\/a> and Kildare.<\/p>\n The company has opportunities to grow its scale in the coming years after it received permission to build close to 500 homes on a 10-hectare site in Ballycullen, Dublin in February. The company also has another large landbank in north Co Dublin with capacity for 700 homes.<\/p>\n Lagan Group recently disclosed its Irish homebuilding business made \u20ac205 million in sales last year.<\/p>\n DywerNolan Developments<\/p>\n Led by: Edward and Ann O\u2019Dwyer<\/b><\/p>\n Pipeline: 2,200 homes<\/b><\/p>\n DywerNolan Developments has made some bumper returns in recent years from its building business, which has delivered a number of large-scale housing estates and apartment blocks.<\/p>\n Recent accounts showed the company\u2019s pretax profits rose 40-fold to \u20ac42.4 million last year after sales climbed from \u20ac38.5 million to \u20ac241.2 million. In that 12-month period, the owners of the company, Edward and Ann O\u2019Dwyer, shared a \u20ac10.2 million pay package.<\/p>\n The O\u2019Dwyer family\u2019s development firm, which also lists Keith, Edwin, William and Aidan O\u2019Dwyer as directors, was established 1971. Since then it has developed more than 9,500 homes in Dublin and its commuter belt in that period.<\/p>\n Based on its current portfolio, it has projects that can deliver 2,200 homes on sites in Dublin, including 800 apartments in Ballyfermot and 250 apartments on Swords Road, Dublin 11. It has 350 units at the planning stage on Santry Avenue, Dublin 9.<\/p>\n The accounts for DwyerNolan Developments also showed the company was sitting on a healthy cash balance of \u20ac85 million at the end of last year, so it has a large amount of capital to fund future projects. <\/p>\n Gem Construction<\/p>\n Led by: Martin Healy, managing director<\/b><\/p>\n Pipeline: 1,300 homes<\/b><\/p>\n Gem Group, which has residential and commercial building arms, was set up in 1978 and has delivered 5,500 homes over almost 50 years.<\/p>\n In the past decade, the scale of the group has grown significantly due to expansion of its housing output, with total revenues up from \u20ac50 million to \u20ac240 million. <\/p>\n A number of recent projects have driven this growth, including an \u20ac82 million development of 331 apartments for Dublin City Council and Tuath Housing on Malahide Road, a \u20ac180 million apartment project in Fingal called Churchfields and a \u20ac280 million phase of the 1,100 housing estate in Dunshaughlin called The Willows.<\/p>\n Data disclosed by Gem Construction shows it has a pipeline of close to 1,300 homes. It recently started construction on a 40-unit apartment block for Cluid Housing on Bannow Road, Dublin 7, and began more homes in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.<\/p>\n The company is led by Martin Healy, who has a controlling stake. Financial director Vincent Fay and construction director Kevin Fay have smaller shareholdings in the business. <\/p>\n Recent accounts show the three business partners shared the proceeds of a \u20ac26.3 million dividend in the year ending June 2025 from Gem Group\u2019s combined residential and commercial building activity.<\/p>\n Dwellings Developments <\/p>\n Led by: Alan McClearn and Jonathan O\u2019Connor, joint managing directors<\/b><\/p>\n Pipeline: 1,252 homes<\/b><\/p>\n Dwellings Developments is a relatively new residential development firm in Ireland and in a short space of time has built a sizeable portfolio of sites and projects.<\/p>\n The company was formed in 2019 as a joint venture between British private equity firm Matter Real Estate and a group of Irish businessmen led by former McInerney Holdings executive Barry O\u2019Connor, who then stepped away from the company in 2024.<\/p>\n The company has focused on gathering together sites in regional areas, including Limerick<\/a>, Cork<\/a> and Dublin\u2019s commuter belt, to develop housing estates. It currently has a pipeline of 1,252 homes.<\/p>\n Dwellings Developments sells around 150 homes a year at present and plans to scale up to 500 units annually in the coming years. It has delivered completed projects in Co Cork, at Garr\u00e1n Ferney in Carrigaline and Port na Rinne in Ringaskiddy, and at Mungret, Co Limerick.<\/p>\n This year the Sunday Times reported that Matter Real Estate appointed KPMG to scope out a sale of its stake in Dwellings Developments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ireland\u2019s two biggest housebuilders are the listed companies Cairn Homes and Glenveagh, followed by Joe O\u2019Reilly\u2019s development company…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":590010,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[73],"tags":[79,1877,52,784,18,8752,19,17,11649,3625,80906,18888,1844,118228,23664,1873,29975],"class_list":["post-590009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-cork","tag-dublin","tag-dublin-city-council","tag-eire","tag-housing-crisis","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-kennedy-wilson","tag-kildare","tag-lagan-homes","tag-land-development-agency","tag-limerick","tag-lioncor","tag-louth","tag-meath","tag-residential-development-land"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116934091212612758","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=590009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/590010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=590009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=590009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=590009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Group](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/OVK4L62K7FDS7F6WHVMXRCRQ2U.jpg\")
Group revenues rose to \u20ac135.3m at D\/Res Properties where Patrick Durkan is CEO <\/p>\n![\"Marcus](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/DMB6NXHQYNG5RF2D5QKHSYUUH4.jpg\")
Marcus Ryan is CEO at Lioncor, which has large projects under construction, including Dublin’s Glass Bottle Site <\/p>\n![\"Anthony](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VY7WVV2UFJH4XGSV7REJMXUNKE.jpeg\")
Anthony Lydon of Lydon, which has done large deals with State entities to sell and develop homes for social and affordable housing <\/p>\n![\"Peter](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/FP5CVQKVAZDJFPXWQ27Y3BEEPU.jpg\")
Peter McKenna of Kennedy Wilson, which plans to almost double its portfolio in Ireland <\/p>\n![\"Ardstone](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/HK367LJI6JEQDH7D5WCZK4LRMM.jpg\")
Ardstone was cofounded by Donal O’Neill in 2005 <\/p>\n![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/QW4VZRW7P5DTND5N6TLFFXC7JA.jpg\")
Chris Carroll is managing director of Lagan Homes. Lagan Group’s Irish homebuilding business made \u20ac205m in sales last year <\/p>\n![\"Martin](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VCZ27LZJNFCDDEUN7JVEMSYMRY.jpeg\")
Martin Healy, managing director of GEM Group, owns a controlling stake <\/p>\n![\"Alan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4M3XXC6IJ5HXNHDL5TAHWQ4N6E.jpg\")
Alan McClearn, joint managing director at Dwellings Developments, which is focused on gathering together sites in regional areas <\/p>\n![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MU3FBN4V3ZD5TBNJYXVEXY7VCI.jpg\")
Jonathan O’Connor, joint managing director at Dwellings <\/p>\n