The Broader Picture

The Companies Registration Office

The week of 12–18 February 2026 saw 642 new companies registered at the CRO — a figure that includes a notable cluster of real estate and property development vehicles. Among the 642 registrations, at least five were directly property-related, including a new PLC structure and two development SPVs. The CRO data for this period also reveals the continued expansion of Liam Mounsey's corporate network, with Rycroft Realty Sandyford Limited incorporated on 11 February 2026 — the day before our period begins — adding to a group that already spans residential development, shipping, and real estate management.

The Irish Courts

The High Court delivered 63 judgments in the period January–February 2026, with several of direct relevance to the property and planning sectors. The most significant for property readers was delivered on the final day of our period: [2026] IEHC 93, Protect Kenilworth Square v Dublin City Council, in which Mr Justice Nolan dismissed a challenge to a planning exemption for an artificial pitch at St Mary's College, Rathmines. The ruling confirms the scope of Class 33(c) exemptions for institutional sports facilities. Also notable: [2026] IEHC 106, Friends of the Irish Environment v Uisce Éireann, which concerns environmental challenges to water infrastructure — a case with indirect implications for housing development capacity in areas dependent on Uisce Éireann connections. The bankruptcy case [2026] IEHC 100, Re: Phelan, is a reminder that personal insolvency proceedings continue to move through the courts, with implications for property assets held by bankrupt individuals.

Property Markets and Plans

Beyond the residential transactions, the commercial property market registered one notable deal in the period: the sale of the ground, first, and second floors of Block A, 8th Lock, Rathoath Road, Dublin 11 for €823,770 — a mixed-use office/commercial unit in the Blanchardstown corridor. The planning register for the period was dominated by rural one-off houses and small-scale extensions, with Donegal (27 applications), Kildare (27), and Tipperary (23) leading by volume. The absence of large-scale residential planning applications — the largest was 6 units in Timahoe, Co. Laois — is a structural concern: the planning pipeline for the next 18–24 months is thin.

The Week Ahead

The dominant theme of the 12–18 February 2026 period is divergence: Dublin softening while provincial markets strengthen; a developer completing one scheme and immediately incorporating the next; a planning system processing hundreds of small applications while the large-scale residential pipeline remains thin. The single most important takeaway is the Mounsey network's expansion into Sandyford — a signal that capital generated from suburban Dublin housing is being recycled into urban infill, which is exactly what the market needs but which faces the most complex planning and cost environment. The ghost estate clearance application in Letterkenny is a quieter but equally significant signal: two decades after the Celtic Tiger, Ireland is finally clearing the physical evidence of its worst planning mistakes.

What to watch in the coming weeks: First, whether Dublin's transaction volume recovers in the last two weeks of February — a sustained volume decline would be a more serious signal than a single-week dip. Second, whether Rycroft Realty Sandyford Limited files a planning application in the D18 eircode cluster — which would confirm the Sandyford pivot thesis. Third, whether the Letterkenny emergency accommodation retention application (Ref. 2660237) is granted — a refusal would force the operator to cease the use, displacing vulnerable residents in a town with limited emergency housing options.