Galway records a significant number of construction projects

Vacancy rates a concern

ALMOST 2,000 homes were under construction across Co Galway at the end of June, the fifth highest of any county in Ireland.

According to the latest GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report, 1,968 residential buildings were classified as under construction in Galway. Only Dublin (6,107), Cork (3,770), Meath (2,192) and Louth (2,061) recorded higher activity this year.

In Galway, 2,235 residential address points were added to the GeoDirectory database in between June 2025 and June 2026. This was the third highest behind Dublin (12,524), Cork (4,154) and Kildare (2,744).

Nationally, there were there were 30,508 buildings under construction in the first six months of the year, equating to an increase of 6,639 buildings (27.8 per cent) compared to the same period in 2025.

Between June 2025 and June 2026, a total of 37,128 new addresses were also added to the GeoDirectory database.

“Passing the 30,000 mark for homes under construction represents a significant milestone for the sector,” commented Simon MacAllister, Partner at EY, an independent construction market forecasting network who created the report.

“We are seeing much of this activity clustered in high-growth commuter areas, reflecting where population growth and housing demand are most acute.

“The challenge now is to maintain this pace of delivery and ensure more new housing is brought to the market.”

Galway may have ranked high in the new constructions and address point statistics, painting a positive picture for a growing ho0using market, but when it came to vacancy rates it ranked poorly.

By the end of June 2026, it stood at five per cent, higher than the national average of 3.7 per cent. That was the ninth highest of any county in Ireland. Cavan (6.4), Kerry (6.9), Longford (7.1), Sligo (8.3), Donegal (8.9), Roscommon (9.9), Mayo (10.3) and Leitrim (11.5) all recorded higher vacancy rates.

House prices are also a concern in Galway, with the latest CSO data revealing the average in May 2026 was €394,287.

The national average during this period was €437,631, an increase of 4.7 per cent compared to the previous year. Apart from Longford, the average house price increased in every county.

“The past 12 months has seen a considerable surge in residential construction activity and new address points recorded,” stated Dara Keogh, CEO of GeoDirectory.

“The figures suggest that the medium-to-long term outlook is improving, but demand continues to outpace supply in the present, with house prices continuing to rise and vacancy rates remaining at record low levels.”