The Broader Picture: Courts, Property & the Week Ahead

The Irish Courts

The High Court delivered eight judgments in the week of 26 February to 4 March 2026. The most significant for business readers was the X Internet Unlimited Company (X, formerly Twitter) challenge to Comisiún na Meán, Ireland's media regulator — a case that will define the boundaries of Irish digital regulation and has implications for every tech platform with an Irish base. The Friends of the Irish Environment challenge to Uisce Éireann signals continued legal pressure on infrastructure delivery, directly relevant to the government's Critical Infrastructure Bill announced this week.

Property Markets & Plans

The property register recorded 593 transactions in the week of 26 February to 4 March 2026, with an average price of €325,863 and a median of €295,154 — the median sitting comfortably above the €295,000 mark that has become a benchmark for Dublin commuter belt pricing. The week's most notable commercial transactions were a Baggot Street mixed-use building sold for €1.35m at a 6.4% net initial yield, and a Georgian aparthotel at 38-39 Gardiner Street Upper, Dublin 1, launched at €5.25m. Both reflect sustained investor appetite for income-generating Dublin assets despite the geopolitical uncertainty.

The Week Ahead

The single most important takeaway from this week is that Ireland's economic story is now inseparable from the geopolitical story. The Iran conflict — which began on Saturday 28 February — has already disrupted aviation routes, pushed oil prices above $85, rattled the Iseq, and raised inflation expectations. For Irish business, the immediate risks are concentrated in aviation leasing (Gulf airline customers), energy costs (oil and gas), and corporate tax (multinationals reassessing investment decisions). The medium-term risk is that a prolonged conflict accelerates the structural shift away from Gulf-dependent supply chains — which could, paradoxically, benefit Ireland's neutral positioning.

On the domestic front, the March exchequer returns will be the first real test of whether Ireland's corporate tax base is normalising or declining. AIB and Bank of Ireland's M&A signals suggest the banking sector is preparing for a period of consolidation. And the Greg Kavanagh court case — small in absolute terms — is a reminder that Ireland's property development sector still carries structural risks from the last cycle.

What to Watch: (1) March exchequer returns — the real test of corporate tax normalisation. (2) AIB or Bank of Ireland M&A announcement in wealth management. (3) An Bord Pleanála decision on the Goodman / BP solar appeal. (4) Cairn Homes' Cork joint venture announcement with CastleGate. (5) Any CRO filings showing new SPV formations by aircraft lessors managing Gulf exposure.