Property & Planning
Week of 2026-W09
Irish Property Market Intelligence
Monthly Report: Transactions, Planning & Market Trends — 26 Feb to 4 Mar 2026
Source: PROPERTY | Period: 2026-02-26 to 2026-03-04
190 Planning Applications, One Registered Transaction: Ireland's Property Pipeline Tells a Story of Lag, Rural Demand, and a Housing Gap That Cannes Can't Close
The Property Price Register recorded just one transaction in the week of 26 February to 4 March 2026 — a commercial retail lease at the Pavilions Shopping Centre in Swords — a figure that reflects the well-documented 4–6 week lag between sale completion and registration, not a market in freefall. The real story lies in the planning pipeline: 0 applications received across 21 local authorities, with Donegal leading the country at 38 submissions, and a new apartment scheme proposed for Glenageary in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Meanwhile, the broader market context shows February 2026 averaging €382,914 per transaction nationally — up from January's €342,600 — as Ireland's housing minister flew to Cannes to court the international capital needed to bridge a 50,000-home-per-year gap.
By the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Planning applications received (26 Feb – 4 Mar) | 190 | Active |
| New applications (status) | 95 | 50% of total |
| Retention applications | 26 | 14% of total |
| Residential units in planning pipeline | 46 | Far below 50k/yr target |
| Avg. national transaction price (Feb 2026) | €382,914 | +11.8% vs Jan 2026 |
| Avg. Dublin transaction price (Feb 2026) | €573,966 | 50% above national avg |
| Donegal planning applications (top authority) | 38 | 20% of national total |
| Total site area under planning (ha) | 27,164 | Broad geographic spread |
The Investigation: Planning Pipeline Anatomy
A deeper look at the 190 planning applications received between 26 February and 4 March 2026 reveals a market shaped by rural self-build demand, a handful of urban infill projects, and the persistent social pressures of homelessness and international protection accommodation. No large-scale residential schemes — defined as 10 or more units — appear in this window, a finding consistent with the broader trend of large developers operating through the Strategic Housing Development and Large-scale Residential Development (LRD) routes rather than standard planning. The 46 residential units in the pipeline represent a single week's contribution to a target that requires 1,000 units per week nationally.
Planning Applications by Local Authority — Top 10
| Local Authority | Applications | % of Total | Notable Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donegal County Council | 38 | 20.0% | Rural dwellings, IPAS centre, emergency homeless shelter |
| Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown CC | 17 | 8.9% | New apartment scheme, Glenageary (D26A/0137); Blackrock College sports enclosure |
| Tipperary County Council | 17 | 8.9% | Rural dwellings incl. protected structure curtilage (Nenagh) |
| Wicklow County Council | 16 | 8.4% | Commuter-belt residential activity |
| Laois County Council | 12 | 6.3% | Mixed residential and agricultural |
| Galway County Council | 10 | 5.3% | Phased residential development, Ballygar; rural dwellings |
| Kilkenny County Council | 10 | 5.3% | Rural dwellings, Bennetsbridge and Tullaroan |
| Louth County Council | 10 | 5.3% | Mixed applications |
| Roscommon County Council | 9 | 4.7% | Rural residential |
| Sligo County Council | 9 | 4.7% | Mixed residential and commercial |
Application Type Breakdown
Notable Planning Applications — Selected Records
| Ref | Address | Authority | Description | Floor Area / Site | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D26A/0137/WEB | 137 Glenageary Rd Upper, Glenageary A96 X6W0 | DLR | New residential development (Apartments: New) | 2,730 sqm site | Referral |
| D26A/0164/WEB | Blackrock College, Rock Road, Blackrock A94FK84 | DLR | 1,615 sqm multi-sport enclosure | 3,000 sqm site | Referral |
| 2660336 | Derriscleigh, Carrigart, Letterkenny | Donegal | Retention of dwelling house and garage | 752 sqm floor area | New Application |
| 2660327 | Brighton Terrace, Bundoran F94 DE63 | Donegal | Retention: emergency homeless accommodation in guesthouse | 0.02 ha site | New Application |
| 2660325 | Loch an Iúir, Anagaire F94 RR83 | Donegal | Retention: IPAS centre (change of use from residence) | 0.84 ha site | New Application |
| 2660124 | Ballymaley, Ennis, Co. Clare | Clare | Amend house types under P23-271 and P21-664 | 0.3 ha site | Pre-Validation |
| SD25A/0164 | 35 Muckross Green, Perrystown, Dublin 12 D12 HV04 | South Dublin | 2 semi-detached houses in side garden of existing dwelling | 670 sqm site | CAI Referral |
| 2660305 | Killeroran Rd, Ballygar, Co. Galway F42 V291 | Galway | Phase 1 phased residential: demolish existing, new 2-storey dwelling + road | 329 sqm floor area | Pre-Validation |
Market Price Context: Monthly Trends (National vs Dublin)
With only one transaction registered in the exact period, the price tracker below draws on the most recent full months available from the Property Price Register. The data reveals a market recovering from a January dip — typical of seasonal patterns — with February 2026 showing a meaningful rebound. Dublin continues to trade at a 50% premium to the national average, a structural gap that has widened since 2024.
| Month | National Avg | National Count | Dublin Avg | Dublin Count | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | €417,758 | 5,958 | €660,426 | 1,814 | Baseline |
| Oct 2025 | €399,608 | 6,246 | €590,123 | 1,897 | Dip |
| Nov 2025 | €455,038 | 5,842 | €692,760 | 1,935 | Recovery |
| Dec 2025 | €495,835 | 7,379 | €791,471 | 2,242 | Peak |
| Jan 2026 | €342,600 | 1,659 | €537,259 | 442 | Seasonal dip |
| Feb 2026 | €382,914 | 1,877 | €573,966 | 572 | Rebounding |
The Connections: What the Planning Data Alone Cannot Tell You
Planning applications are forward-looking signals. They tell you what developers, homeowners, and institutions intend to build — not what has been built or sold. When you cross-reference the 190 applications received this period against court records, market data, and Business Post reporting, a more textured picture emerges: a market under structural pressure, a government scrambling for international capital, and a legal system actively shaping what gets built and where.
The Radar: Three Signals Worth Watching
The Deep Dive
This period's planning data yields two entities worthy of deeper investigation: the Glenageary Road apartment scheme in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, which represents the most significant urban residential application of the week, and the Ballymaley housing scheme in Ennis, which illustrates the active revision cycle in Ireland's mid-tier residential development pipeline. Both are examined below.
Glenageary Road Upper, D26A/0137/WEB — South Dublin's Apartment Ambition
The site known as "Arva" at 137 Glenageary Road Upper, Glenageary, Co. Dublin (eircode A96 X6W0) is a 2,730 square metre plot in one of south Dublin's most premium residential addresses. The application, received by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council on 26 February 2026 and classified as Apartments: New (A03N), proposes a residential development whose full unit count is not yet disclosed in the planning register. The site sits in the A96 eircode district — Glenageary/Killiney — where the Property Price Register shows residential transactions regularly exceeding €1 million. A 2,730 sqm site in this location, if developed to typical Dublin apartment densities of 100–150 units per hectare, could yield 27–41 apartments. At current Glenageary market values, that represents a gross development value of €27–41 million.
| Data Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Application Reference | D26A/0137/WEB |
| Address | 137 Glenageary Road Upper, Glenageary, Co. Dublin A96 X6W0 |
| Planning Authority | Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council |
| Application Type | Permission — Apartments: New (A03N) |
| Site Area | 2,730 sqm (0.273 ha) |
| Application Status | Referral (received 26 Feb 2026) |
| Decision Due Date | 22 April 2026 |
| Estimated GDV (indicative) | €27–41 million (based on area density and local market values) |
| CRO Cross-Reference | No corporate applicant identified in planning register; CRO search inconclusive |
The question for April 2026: Does the Glenageary scheme receive a decision on time, or does the referral process extend the timeline — and will a judicial review follow if permission is refused?
Ballymaley, Ennis — The Revision Cycle in Action
Application 2660124 at Ballymaley, Ennis, Co. Clare seeks to amend house types previously granted under planning references P23-271 and P21-664. This is a pre-validation application — meaning it has been received but not yet formally validated by Clare County Council. The significance lies not in the individual application but in what it represents: a developer actively managing an existing permission, revising house types to respond to market conditions. Ennis is Clare's county town and a growing commuter location for Limerick, 25km to the south. The Ballymaley area has seen sustained residential development activity over the past five years.
| Data Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Application Reference | 2660124 |
| Address | Ballymaley, Ennis, Co. Clare |
| Planning Authority | Clare County Council |
| Application Type | Permission — Housing: Revision (A02V) |
| Site Area | 0.3 ha |
| Application Status | Pre-Validation (received 4 Mar 2026) |
| Decision Due Date | 28 April 2026 |
| Original Permissions | P23-271 and P21-664 (active development pipeline) |
The question for mid-2026: Does the Ballymaley revision receive validation and proceed to decision, and what does the revised house mix tell us about buyer demand in the Ennis market?
Key People This Period
| Name | Role | Notable Activity | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Browne | Minister for Housing | Presented at Mipim Cannes; pitched Ireland's 50,000-home/year target to international investors | Business Post, 10 Mar 2026 |
| Michael Stanley | CEO, Cairn Homes | Present at Mipim; Cairn share price +4.21% on 4 March 2026 | Markets Wrap, 4 Mar 2026 |
| Stephen Garvey | CEO, Glenveagh Properties | Glenveagh at Mipim; active in planning pipeline nationally | Business Post, 10 Mar 2026 |
| Patrick Phelan | Ballymore | Major developer at Mipim; Ballymore active in large-scale Irish residential | Business Post, 10 Mar 2026 |
| Humphreys J. | High Court Judge | Refused leave to appeal in Condon v An Coimisiún Pleanála; also ruled in Rural Residents Wind Aware case | [2026] IEHC 137 |
| Ryan Leneghan | Director, Ryconlou Limited | Landlord-tenant dispute over Athlone licensed premises; security for costs refused on appeal | [2026] IEHC 152 |
One to Watch: The Joinery, Dun Laoghaire — Industrial-to-Residential Conversion
The Joinery, Dun Laoghaire Industrial Estate, Pottery Road, Dun Laoghaire (A96 HX7A)
| Data Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Application Type | Permission — Apartments: Revision |
| Description | Change of use of areas designated as multi-media room, residents lounge, and communal spaces |
| Site Area | 450 sqm |
| Location | Dun Laoghaire Industrial Estate, Pottery Road — former industrial/commercial zone |
| Status | Referral (received 26 Feb 2026) |
| Decision Due | 22 April 2026 |
The Joinery is a converted industrial building in Dun Laoghaire's former industrial estate on Pottery Road — a location that has seen significant residential conversion activity over the past decade. The application seeks to revise the use of communal areas within what appears to be an existing apartment or co-living scheme, converting amenity spaces to residential use. This is a micro-application, but it points to a broader trend: the repurposing of communal and amenity spaces within existing residential schemes as operators seek to maximise unit yield.
Why it matters: The Dun Laoghaire Industrial Estate is one of the last remaining brownfield sites in the A96 eircode district. As industrial uses migrate to outer Dublin, the pressure to convert these sites to residential intensifies. The Joinery revision is a small signal of a larger transformation underway in one of Dublin's most sought-after coastal locations. Watch for: further conversion applications in the Pottery Road/Dun Laoghaire Industrial Estate area as the brownfield-to-residential pipeline accelerates.
The number that matters: 450 sqm — the site area of this revision application. In a market where Dun Laoghaire apartments trade at €5,000–6,000 per square metre, even a modest conversion of communal space to residential use represents €2–3 million in potential value creation.
The Broader Picture
The Irish Courts: Planning, Property, and Commercial Disputes
The High Court delivered 51 judgments in the period 1 February to 10 March 2026, with several carrying direct implications for the property and development sector. The most significant for planning practitioners is the refusal of leave to appeal in a Cork development case, which reinforces the courts' insistence on thorough heritage and archaeological assessment before demolition. A landlord-tenant dispute involving a licensed premises in Athlone also concluded, with the court refusing to order security for costs against the plaintiff company — a decision with implications for how courts assess the financial capacity of property-holding companies in litigation.
| Citation | Parties | Subject | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| [2026] IEHC 137 | Condon v An Coimisiún Pleanála [No. 2] | Planning — Cork development plan, archaeological assessment | Developer's leave to appeal refused; courts insist on thorough heritage assessment before demolition. Directly relevant to DLR protected structure applications this period. |
| [2026] IEHC 135 | Rural Residents Wind Aware v An Coimisiún Pleanála [No. 2] | Wind energy planning | Ongoing judicial scrutiny of An Coimisiún Pleanála decisions; wind energy development faces same legal risks as residential. |
| [2026] IEHC 152 | Ryconlou Limited v Conlon | Landlord-tenant, licensed premises, Athlone; security for costs | Court refused security for costs against property company; sets a high bar for defendants seeking to force plaintiffs to lodge security. Relevant to commercial property litigation. |
| [2026] IEHC 140 | Charles Kelly Limited v Companies Act 2014 | Company law — High Court | Corporate governance case with potential implications for property-holding company structures. |
| [2026] IEHC 124 | Verbenagrove Limited v Evans and Anor | Property company dispute — High Court | Corporate property dispute; Verbenagrove Limited is a named property entity. Outcome may affect commercial property ownership structures. |
Property Markets and Plans: The Commercial Snapshot
Beyond the planning pipeline, the commercial property market offered one concrete data point this period: a 10-year retail lease at the Pavilions Shopping Centre in Swords, north Dublin, at €165,000 annual rent. The Pavilions is a 65,000 sqm regional shopping centre anchored by Dunnes Stores and Penneys, and a 10-year lease commitment in early 2026 signals retailer confidence in the format. The broader commercial property market context, drawn from the year-to-date transaction data, shows commercial transactions averaging significantly above residential in the Dublin market.
| Property | Location | Type | Amount | Date | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Pavilions Shopping Centre | Swords, Dublin | Commercial — Retail Lease (10 years) | €165,000 p.a. | 26 Feb 2026 | Long-term commitment |
| 137 Glenageary Road Upper | Glenageary, Co. Dublin A96 X6W0 | Planning — Apartments: New | GDV est. €27–41m | 26 Feb 2026 (planning) | In pipeline |
| Blackrock College, Rock Road | Blackrock, Dublin A94FK84 | Planning — Education: 1,615 sqm sports enclosure | N/A | 4 Mar 2026 (planning) | Institutional investment |
| The Joinery, Pottery Road | Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin A96 HX7A | Planning — Apartments: Revision | N/A | 26 Feb 2026 (planning) | Brownfield conversion |
The Week Ahead: Synthesis and Forward Look
The period of 26 February to 4 March 2026 is best understood as a planning-led snapshot of a market in transition. The Property Price Register's data lag means the transaction picture is incomplete, but the planning pipeline tells a clear story: rural Ireland is building steadily through the self-build route, urban Dublin is seeing selective apartment and conversion activity, and the social housing and international protection pressures are reshaping how planning applications are used as emergency instruments. The Mipim conference in Cannes — where Ireland's housing minister was pitching to international investors on the same day this planning window closed — underscores the scale of the gap between current pipeline activity and the 50,000-home annual target.
The courts remain an active force in shaping what gets built. Two High Court judgments involving An Coimisiún Pleanála in a single week is not unusual, but the pattern of judicial review challenges adds a structural risk premium to all development appraisals. The refusal of leave to appeal in the Cork heritage case sends a clear signal: developers who do not conduct thorough archaeological and heritage assessments before demolition will face judicial consequences.
What to Watch:
- The Glenageary Road apartment scheme (D26A/0137/WEB) decision due 22 April 2026 — a test of DLR's appetite for urban density in premium locations.
- Whether the Donegal IPAS and homeless accommodation retention applications (2660325, 2660327) receive permission — a signal of how planning authorities are responding to social housing emergencies.
- The March 2026 Property Price Register data, due for publication in April/May, which will reveal whether the February rebound in transaction volumes and prices has continued into the spring selling season.