Property & Planning
Week of 2026-W12
Irish Property Market Intelligence
Weekly Transactions & Planning Register — 17–23 March 2026
Source: PROPERTY | Period: 2026-03-17 to 2026-03-23
Dublin Median Surges 10.5% as Foxrock Leads Premium Charge; 163 Planning Applications Signal Nationwide Build Pipeline
Transactions registered in the week of 17–23 March 2026 reveal a market in sharp two-speed motion: Dublin's median sale price reached €485,000 — up 10.5% on the equivalent period two weeks prior — while the national median of €327,000 tells a more cautious story outside the capital. At the top end, three Foxrock and Carrickmines properties transacted above €1.7 million in a single week, anchoring Dublin's D18 postcode as Ireland's most active premium residential micro-market. Meanwhile, 0 planning applications received across 15 local authorities point to a build pipeline that is broad but shallow — just 20 residential units in total, dominated by one-off rural dwellings rather than the large-scale schemes the housing crisis demands.
By the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| National median price (current period) | €327,000 | Down vs prev. period €345,630 |
| Dublin median price (current period) | €485,000 | Up 10.5% vs prev. €439,000 |
| National average price | €415,731 | Up from €375,804 |
| Highest single transaction | €2,750,000 | 48 Nutley Ave, Dublin 4 |
| Transactions above €1M | 5 | All Dublin |
| Planning applications received | 163 | 15 local authorities |
| Residential units in planning pipeline | 20 | Predominantly one-off rural |
| Transactions in €300k–€400k band | 55 | 24.2% of all transactions |
The Investigation: County Price Tracker and Top Transactions
A deeper look at the data reveals a market where Dublin is pulling away from the rest of the country at an accelerating rate. The capital's average transaction price of €582,702 is now 98.7% above the national median — a gap that has widened from the previous period when Dublin's average of €506,943 was 34.8% above the national figure. Outside Dublin, Wicklow and Meath remain the strongest performers among commuter counties, while Galway's average fell sharply from €368,395 to €272,228 — a 26% drop that reflects the small sample size (8 transactions) rather than any structural market shift.
County Price Tracker: 17–23 March vs 3–9 March 2026
The table below compares county-level average prices and transaction volumes between the current period and the previous equivalent period. Note that volume differences are primarily driven by registration lag rather than actual market activity changes.
| County | Avg (Current) | Avg (Previous) | Change | Txns (Current) | Txns (Previous) | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | €582,702 | €506,943 | +14.9% | 64 | 279 | −77% |
| Cork | €293,224 | €318,726 | −8.0% | 24 | 106 | −77% |
| Kildare | €344,104 | €412,296 | −16.5% | 10 | 43 | −77% |
| Meath | €395,083 | €419,657 | −5.9% | 6 | 26 | −77% |
| Wicklow | €383,443 | €570,476 | −32.8% | 7 | 29 | −76% |
| Limerick | €273,578 | €273,312 | +0.1% | 11 | 32 | −66% |
| Waterford | €338,741 | €400,962 | −15.5% | 5 | 24 | −79% |
| Galway | €272,228 | €368,395 | −26.1% | 8 | 51 | −84% |
Top Transactions: 17–23 March 2026
The period's highest-value transactions are concentrated in Dublin's premium southside postcodes, with D18 (Foxrock/Carrickmines) and D04 (Ballsbridge/Nutley) dominating the top of the table. The single highest transaction — €2.75M at 48 Nutley Avenue, Dublin 4 — is 8.4x the national median, a ratio that underscores the premium attached to D04 addresses.
| Address | County | Price | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 Nutley Ave, Dublin 4 | Dublin | €2,750,000 | Residential | D04 premium |
| 7 The Terrace, Torquay Rd, Foxrock | Dublin | €2,075,000 | Residential | D18 Foxrock |
| Londolozi, Torquay Rd, Foxrock | Dublin | €1,780,000 | Residential | D18 Foxrock |
| 19 Knockcree, Glenamuck Rd, Carrickmines | Dublin | €1,140,000 | Residential | D18 Carrickmines |
| 22 Silverbrook, Whitechurch Rd, Rathfarnham | Dublin | €1,057,269 | Residential | New build (VAT excl.) |
| 9 Maxwell Square, Rathmines | Dublin | €955,000 | Residential | D06 premium |
| Sonas, Station Rd, Ballincollig | Cork | €945,000 | Residential | Cork premium |
| 174 Ashbrook, Clontarf, Dublin 3 | Dublin | €910,000 | Residential | D03 Clontarf |
| 12 The Village, Ballygunner, Waterford | Waterford | €655,000 | Residential | Regional standout |
| Priory House, Clancy Strand, Limerick | Limerick | €650,000 | Residential | Limerick premium |
Planning Register: Applications by Authority
The 0 planning applications received in the period span 15 local authorities, with Donegal (31), Wicklow (19), and Tipperary (17) leading by volume. The dominance of rural and semi-rural counties in the planning register reflects the continued appetite for one-off rural housing — a planning category that generates political controversy but remains a significant component of Ireland's residential pipeline. Of 163 applications, 117 are for full permission and 33 are retention applications (retrospective approval).
The Connections: What the Transactions and Planning Register Reveal Together
Transaction data and planning applications, read in isolation, tell only part of the story. The real intelligence emerges when you cross-reference the register with court records, company filings, and media coverage. This period, three distinct themes emerge: a premium D18 corridor under development pressure; a planning system under legal challenge; and a national affordability debate that is moving from commentary to concrete proposals.
The Radar: Three Signals Worth Watching
The Deep Dive: D18's Premium Corridor and the Foxrock Market
Two stories dominate this period's deep investigation: the extraordinary concentration of premium residential activity in Dublin's D18 postcode, and the planning and legal context that surrounds it. The Foxrock-Carrickmines corridor generated more high-value transactions in a single week than most Irish counties register in a month — and it is simultaneously the site of a live planning dispute involving one of Ireland's largest homebuilders.
The Foxrock-Carrickmines Corridor — Ireland's Most Active Premium Micro-Market
The D18 postcode — covering Foxrock, Carrickmines, Leopardstown, and Sandyford — is not just Dublin's most expensive address. It is Ireland's most active premium residential micro-market, generating multiple seven-figure transactions in a single week while simultaneously hosting a live planning dispute, a Luas extension levy appeal, and new-build apartment completions at €580k–€643k per unit. The data this week tells a story of a market operating at full capacity at the premium end, even as the broader national register shows thin volume.
| Metric | Current Period | Context | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| D18 transactions above €500k | 6 | vs 64 total Dublin | 9.4% of Dublin volume |
| Highest D18 transaction | €2,075,000 | 7 The Terrace, Foxrock | 4.3x national median |
| D18 new build completions (VAT excl.) | 2 | Beckett Woods, Brighton Rd | €583k–€590k range |
| D04 top transaction | €2,750,000 | 48 Nutley Ave | Period high nationally |
| Cairn Homes Ashwood Farm units | 74 | 16 duplexes + 58 houses | Luas levy dispute active |
| Cairn Homes development burden | €7.4M | €56,900 per unit | Levy appeal pending |
| D18 Elmpark Green new build apts | 2 | Merrion Road, Dublin 4 | €577k–€643k range |
The question for the next planning cycle: as the Cherrywood Strategic Development Zone continues to deliver new units, will the Luas levy dispute set a precedent that reduces infrastructure contributions — and if so, who picks up the cost of the extension that makes Cherrywood viable in the first place?
Key People This Period
| Name | Role | Notable Activity | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Stanley | CEO, Cairn Homes | Appealing €900k Luas levy on Carrickmines Ashwood Farm scheme (74 units) | BP: Cairn Homes Luas levy appeal |
| Seán Mulryan | Chairman, Ballymore Ireland Group | Ballymore defendant in Dooley v Florentine Properties — case dismissed after 13 years | [2026] IEHC 170 |
| Ray McAdam | Dublin Lord Mayor | Calling for conversion of 138 derelict city centre buildings to homes for essential workers | BP: Derelict buildings article |
| Justice Humphreys | High Court Judge | Delivered two An Coimisiún Pleanála judgments in one week; dismissed solar farm appeal | [2026] IEHC 175, [2026] IEHC 174 |
| Justice Jordan | High Court Judge | Dismissed Dooley v Florentine Properties for want of prosecution after 13-year delay | [2026] IEHC 170 |
One to Watch: Ballincollig, Cork — Ireland's Emerging Premium Regional Market
Sonas, Station Road, Ballincollig, Cork
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Transaction price | €945,000 |
| Cork county average (current period) | €293,224 |
| Premium over county average | +222% |
| Transaction date | 19 March 2026 |
| VAT exclusive (new build) | No |
Sonas is a named property on Station Road in Ballincollig, one of Cork's most sought-after suburban addresses. Ballincollig is a large town west of Cork city with excellent road and public transport links, a strong professional demographic, and a well-established premium residential market. A named property — rather than a numbered house — at €945,000 signals a substantial detached home on a generous site.
Why it matters: Ballincollig's €945,000 transaction is 3.2x the Cork county average for the period — a ratio that would not look out of place in Dublin's premium suburbs. It is a reminder that Ireland's regional premium market is not confined to the capital, and that Cork's most desirable addresses are now pricing at levels that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. The question for Cork's premium market: as remote working sustains demand for large suburban homes, will Ballincollig and similar Cork suburbs continue to close the gap with Dublin's southside, or will the Dublin premium prove structurally persistent?
The number that matters: €945,000 — the highest non-Dublin transaction in the period, and 3.2x the Cork county average. This is not an outlier; it is a signal that Cork's premium tier is operating at near-Dublin pricing for the right property in the right location.
The Broader Picture: Courts, Companies, and the Week Ahead
The Irish Courts
The High Court delivered 16 judgments in the week of 17–23 March 2026, with a striking concentration of property and planning cases. Three judgments directly involved An Coimisiún Pleanála, Ireland's national planning authority — a volume that reflects the ongoing legal pressure on the planning system from both developers and objectors. A further two judgments touched on property rights and mortgage enforcement, underscoring that the legal legacy of the 2005–2010 property cycle has not yet fully resolved.
| Citation | Parties | Subject | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| [2026] IEHC 170 | Dooley v Florentine Properties / Ballymore Ireland Group | Property contract dispute (2005) dismissed for want of prosecution | 13-year litigation finally closed; Ballymore cleared. Legacy of boom-era contracts still in courts. |
| [2026] IEHC 175 | Moss and Ors v An Coimisiún Pleanála (solar farm) | Leave to appeal dismissed — solar farm planning upheld | Court prioritises renewable energy pipeline over objectors' procedural arguments. |
| [2026] IEHC 177 | Phelan Walsh v An Coimisiún Pleanála | Planning judicial review | Third An Coimisiún Pleanála case in one week — planning system under sustained legal pressure. |
| [2026] IEHC 164 | Connaughton v Start Mortgages DAC | Mortgage enforcement | Ongoing distressed mortgage enforcement — legacy of 2008–2012 arrears crisis persists. |
| [2026] IEHC 172 | ER Travel Limited v Dublin Airport Authority (DAA PLC) | Commercial dispute, High Court | Commercial litigation involving DAA — airport infrastructure disputes have property implications. |
The Companies Registration Office
The CRO search for new company registrations in the exact period 17–23 March 2026 returned no results in the current data window — consistent with the Property Price Register's registration lag, which means company formations linked to property transactions in this period will appear in CRO records 4–6 weeks later. The broader CRO context for the period includes 0 new companies registered and 0 companies with filing activity. Business name registrations for the period total 247, with 1,676 showing activity.
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| New companies registered (period) | 0 | CRO registration lag applies |
| Companies with CRO activity | 0 | Filings, status changes, director changes |
| New business names registered | 247 | Sole traders and partnerships |
| Business names with activity | 1,676 | Renewals and amendments |
| Planning applications received | 163 | 15 local authorities |
The Week Ahead
The data from 17–23 March 2026 tells a story of a property market that is simultaneously expensive, litigated, and under-supplied. Dublin's median price at €485,000 is 48.3% above the national median — a gap that is structural, not cyclical. The planning register's 163 applications, delivering just 20 residential units, is a weekly reminder that Ireland's planning system is processing individual applications rather than strategic housing supply. The courts are delivering three planning judgments a week. And the affordability debate has moved from political rhetoric to architectural proposals — but the gap between what architects say is possible and what developers are actually building remains vast.
What to Watch:
- The outcome of Cairn Homes' appeal against the €900k Luas levy at Carrickmines — a decision that will set a precedent for infrastructure contributions on all new residential schemes in the Cherrywood SDZ catchment.
- Whether the Donegal planning volume (31 applications in one week) reflects a sustained rural housing demand wave or a seasonal spike — and how An Coimisiún Pleanála's enforcement posture on one-off rural housing evolves under the new Planning and Development Act.
- The next tranche of Property Price Register data, due in 4–6 weeks, which will reflect March 2026 completions and provide a cleaner read on whether Dublin's €485,000 median is a structural shift or a thin-volume artefact.