Women in Construction Awards 2026 celebrate talent across Ireland’s building sector

Amy Murphy, a design director at architecture practice Henry J Lyons, has been honoured with the Overall Leader award at the Women in Construction Awards 2026. Now in its third year, the awards programme celebrates exceptional achievement and leadership across Ireland’s construction sector, and this year’s ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, Dublin, attracted some 400 attendees from across the industry.

Hosted by Fiona Buckley, the evening saw 23 trophies awarded from a field of 110 entries, with winners and finalists spanning disciplines across architecture, design, consulting, contracting, engineering and operations, reflecting the breadth of female talent driving construction excellence in Ireland.

The distinguished judging panel noted that Murphy has extensive experience across large-scale commercial developments, and that her passion for adaptive reuse and retrofitting enhances her ability to craft innovative and sustainable architectural solutions. “Beyond project delivery Murphy’s mentorship and commitment to fostering practice culture set her apart as a leader in every sense,” said the award citation. “Her ability to drive innovation and design quality, while balancing business needs, makes her a truly exceptional figure in the field.”

“I think the award is very important from a visibility and a representation perspective,” Murphy said. “It’s a really positive experience being here and it’s great to see how many fantastic women are working in the sector.”

How Europe’s headline housing numbers hide the real crisis

Investing in employees’ futures

‘I’m 65, our drummer is 16’: There’s no rulebook for what comes next in retirement

Fortune favours the brave: The hidden cost of playing it safe in business

Gráinne Farrell, group marketing manager at event sponsor U Value Insulation, said the company was proud to support the awards and to celebrate the people making a real difference across the industry, adding that recognising their achievements helps inspire the next generation of construction professionals.

Josephine Kane, purchasing manager at event sponsor Dornan, described the evening as one of the best awards nights the company had attended, showcasing the best female talent in the industry. She said Dornan would be back next year hoping for an even bigger room and audience.

Maria McKeown of TODD Architects won the award in the business owner category while Victoria Mannion of O’Connell Mahon Architects was selected as mentor of the year. FKM Fit Out’s leadership team won the team award with the company’s Breda Gleeson also recognised for her operations leadership. Sinead Savage of McKeon Group was a dual award winner and Ethos Engineering celebrated awards for Andricke Smith, Andrea van Eeden and Müge Karasahin.

Rising talent was also celebrated on the night, with awards going to Aoife Corcoran of John Paul Construction and Laoise McGrath of TODD Architects. “I think you can tell tonight that the atmosphere in the room and everyone who attended just had such support for each other,” McGrath said. “It’s really important to remember how much we can support each other by having these events.”

Stephanie Grace, quality manager at Weltec Engineering, shortlisted in the sustainable leadership award category, remarked: “Sustainability leadership is about creating lasting impact through practical, measurable change, and awards like these highlight the progress being made across industries to integrate sustainability into core business strategies.”

Judging coordinator Róisín Murphy said the programme highlights the leadership of women across every facet of the construction sector. “These women are true powerhouses, demonstrating the breadth of opportunities available across the industry, which should encourage the next generation of women to pursue careers in construction,” she said.

Winners of the Women in Construction Awards 2026

The legacy award was presented to Catriona Gallagher, executive director at Designer Group, who has over 25 years’ experience in M&E contracting. Gallagher’s portfolio includes large-scale office developments in Ireland, UK and Europe for leading technology companies.

Kevin O’Driscoll, director of partnership programmes at awards organiser Business River, said: “Events like this are made possible through the support of sponsors. We are thankful to our 2026 sponsors, which include U Value Insulation, Dornan, McElroy Associates, Kilsaran, and FKM Fit Out. I also want to recognise our supporter, Amárach Research. Their investment in the awards underlines their commitment and support of this key business area.”

Awards judges

Róisín Murphy (judging coordinator) - senior lecturer, Technological University Dublin
Collette Burns - architectural project leader, campus planning, TU Dublin
Lynda Cahalan - operations manager, Mercury Engineering
Yvonne Callan - director, Creighan Contracts
Rachel Dudley - director, Scott Tallon Walker Architects
Helen Duffy - director, Sweco Ireland Limited
Mary Catherine Greene - director of portfolio & assets, Glenveagh Properties
Emma Maye - chief executive, Ardale and Core Building Providers
Jen McAuley - assistant lecturer in digital construction, Technological University of Dublin
Grace McConnell - associate director, Linesight
Aidan McGovern - chartered engineer, OPW
James McNamara - lecturer, TUS Midlands/Mid-West
Magda Mickiewicz - head of building & planning, Nua Healthcare Services Ltd
Rachel Murray - director of people & brand, ORS
John Spillane - associate professor, University of Limerick
Julia Stevens - chief executive, Constructionarium
Joanne White - founder and director, Women in Construction Ireland
Lisa Wynne - director, Reddy A+U