List of tallest buildings in Ireland

Last updated

Obel Tower in Belfast Obel Tower Belfast.png
Obel Tower in Belfast
Belfast skyline with the tallest buildings in Northern Ireland Tallest Buildings in Northern Ireland.png
Belfast skyline with the tallest buildings in Northern Ireland

This is a list of the tallest habitable buildings on the island of Ireland (used for living and working in, as opposed to masts and churches). This includes both Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. The island of Ireland has relatively few tall buildings. The island's first tall building was Liberty Hall, built in 1965, which stands at 59.4 metres (195 ft). The current tallest habitable building on the island of Ireland is the Obel Tower in Belfast, Northern Ireland at 85 metres (279 ft). [1] [2] [3] The tallest storied building in the Republic of Ireland is Capital Dock in Dublin, at about 79 metres (259 ft). [4] [5]

Contents

Tallest habitable buildings

Northern Ireland

  The tallest building on the island of Ireland upon completion
  The tallest building in Northern Ireland upon completion
RankNameLocationTypeYear
completed
Floors
(above ground)
HeightPicture
1 Obel Tower Belfast Residential20102885 m (279 ft) [2] [1] [3] Obel Tower Belfast.png
2 Grand Central Hotel BelfastHotel19752380 m (260 ft) The Grand Central Hotel, Belfast (Oct 2018).jpg
3 Belfast City Hospital BelfastHospital19861576 m (249 ft) Belfast City Hospital - geograph.org.uk - 935081.jpg
4City Quays 3BelfastOffice202216 [6] 73.8 m (242 ft) [7] City Quays 3 Belfast.jpg
5The Ewart BuildingBelfastOffice202217 [8] [9] 73 m (240 ft)
6Belfast Hilton HotelBelfastHotel19981663 m (207 ft) The "Hilton" hotel, Belfast (1) - geograph.org.uk - 1249088.jpg
7 BT Riverside Tower BelfastOffice19981462 m (203 ft) BT Riverside Tower, Belfast, April 2010 (01).JPG
8 Divis Tower BelfastResidential19662061 m (200 ft) Divis Tower, Belfast, May 2011 (02).JPG
9= Royal Victoria Hospital BelfastHospital20121257 m (187 ft) Royal Hospital Belfast 02.jpg
9=The BoatBelfastResidential, Office20101557 m (187 ft) The Boat, Belfast, April 2010 (06).JPG
11Ulster University CampusBelfastEducation2022 [10] 12 [11] 55.5 m (182 ft)
12=Linium SquareBelfastOffice20051355 m (180 ft) Bedford Square 18.08.12 029.jpg
12=Causeway TowerBelfastOffice20041355 m (180 ft) Causeway Tower 13.09.12.jpg
12=Great Northern TowerBelfastOffice19921355 m (180 ft) Great Northern Mall, Great Victoria Street, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 1593903.jpg
15 Belfast City Hall BelfastGovernment building1906N/A53 m (173 ft) [12] Belfast City Hall, October 2010 (02).JPG
16Vita Bruce StreetBelfastStudent accommodation202315 [13] 52.8 m (173 ft)[ citation needed ]
17Grainne HouseBelfastResidential19681752 m (171 ft) Grainne House, North Queen Street (cropped from geograph 6218032).jpg
18 Europa Hotel BelfastHotel19711351 m (167 ft) Europa Hotel, Belfast 02.jpg
19Lanyon PlaceBelfastOffice20141250 m (160 ft) No 8 Lanyon Place, Belfast (14) - geograph.org.uk - 1716262.jpg

Republic of Ireland

  The tallest building on the island of Ireland upon completion
  The tallest building in the Republic of Ireland upon completion
RankNameLocationTypeYear
completed
Floors
(above ground)
HeightPicture
1 Capital Dock Dublin Mixed-use201822 [5] 79 m (259 ft) [14] Capital Dock, Dublin Docklands, June 2021.jpg
2 The Exo Building Dublin Office202117 [15] 73 m (240 ft) The Exo, Dublin Docklands, June 2021.jpg
3 The Elysian Cork Mixed-use200817 [16] 71 m (233 ft) [16] [17] Elysian tower Cork.JPG
4= Google Docks Dublin Office201015 [18] 67 m (220 ft) Google Docks view from Barrow Street.jpg
4= Cork County Hall CorkOffice19681767 m (220 ft) [19] County Hall, Cork City (2024).jpg
6 Millennium Tower DublinResidential19981663 m (207 ft) Millenium Tower, Dublin Docklands (2024).jpg
7 Liberty Hall DublinOffice19651759.4 m (195 ft) Liberty Hall in Dublin City Centre and the Dublin Spire-145862.jpg
8 One George's Quay Plaza DublinOffice20021359 m (194 ft) The Ulster Bank Group HQ, George's Quay Plaza - geograph.org.uk - 1743476.jpg
9 Riverpoint Limerick Mixed use20081558.5 m (192 ft) RiverPoint.JPG
10The Gateway Hotel (formerly Crowne Plaza) Dundalk Hotel200714 [20] 58 m (190 ft) Crowne Plaza, Dundalk (geograph 3627499).jpg
11Sandyford Central, Block DDublinResidential202317 [21] 57.1 m (187 ft) [21] [22] Sandyford apts 2.jpg
12 Clayton Hotel LimerickHotel20021757 m (187 ft) Clarion Hotel On Steamboat Quay.jpg
13 Boland's Quay DublinMixed use20201354 m (177 ft) Bolands Quay, Dublin Docklands (2023).jpg
14Metro Hotel, Ballymun DublinHotel200515 [23] 52.1 m (171 ft) [24] Days Hotel, Ballymun - geograph.org.uk - 518821 (cropped).jpg
15 Alto Vetro DublinResidential20081651 m (167 ft) Alto Vetro.jpg

Tallest buildings by city

This list only includes cities with buildings taller than 50 metres (165'). Cities in light blue are in Northern Ireland.

CityBuildingHeightFloor countCompleted
Belfast Obel Tower 85 m (279 ft)282010
Dublin Capital Dock 79 m (259 ft)22 [5] 2018
Cork The Elysian 71 m (233 ft)172008
Limerick Riverpoint 58.5 m (192 ft)152008

Under construction

East Wharf, Dublin City (2024) East Wharf, Dublin City (2024).jpg
East Wharf, Dublin City (2024)
College Square Dublin under construction in April 2025 College Square Dublin.jpg
College Square Dublin under construction in April 2025
NameLocationTypeFloors
(above ground)
HeightNotes
College Square DublinResidential and office22 [25] 82.1m [26] [27] Construction commenced in 2022.
2 Grand Canal QuayDublinOffice15 [28] 62mConstruction commenced in 2023 [29]
CastleforbesDublinResidential18 [30] 60.7m [31] Construction commenced in 2023 [32] Topped out in 2025. [33]
Bankmore ExchangeBelfastOffice14 [34] 58mSite prep commenced in 2024 [35] and construction commenced in June 2025.
LoftlinesBelfastResidential18 [36] 57mConstruction commenced in 2023. [37]
Weavers' HallBelfastStudent accommodation17 [38] [39] 55m[ citation needed ]Construction commenced in 2024. [40]
East WharfDublinHotel and residential1552.7mConstruction commenced in 2022. [41] Topped out in 2023.[ citation needed ]
New Children's Hospital BelfastBelfastHospital10 [42] 52.4mConstruction commenced in March 2025. [43]
Marshall YardsDublinResidential15 [44] 51.3m[ citation needed ]Construction commenced in 2023 [45]

Cancelled

The below list contains details of notable buildings with a planned height of over 50 m (160 ft) which were under construction when the project was stopped or cancelled.

NameLocationTypeFloors
(above ground)
HeightYear cancelledNotes
U2 Tower DublinMixed-Use36130m [46] 20083 basement floors were completed at the time of cessation of the project. The site was later used to house Capital Dock.
The Watchtower DublinHotel40120m [47] 2013Site was sold to Nama in 2013 and is now partially used as the site of the Exo Building.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Obel Tower > Glazed In Window Vents > Belfast". brookvent.co.uk. Brookvent. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Planning permission granted for what will be Ireland's tallest building in Cork". irishnews.com. Irish News. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021. Ireland's tallest building is currently the Obel Tower in Belfast, standing at 85 metres high
  3. 1 2 "Tallest building in Ireland taken over by administrators". thejournal.ie. Journal Media Ltd. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  4. Ciarán Hancock (22 July 2016). "John Sisk to build major development at Capital Dock". Irishtimes.com. Irish Times. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Capital Dock to set new benchmark with two-bed units renting at €3,300 a month". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 20 November 2018. Capital Dock is Ireland's tallest residential building at 22 storeys
  6. "Planning approval for £46m Belfast office block".
  7. "Rooftop Illuminated Building Sign on South East Elevation". epicpublic.planningni.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  8. McLaughlin, Sophie (13 January 2022). "Former linen warehouse restoration unveiled in Belfast city centre". BelfastLive. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  9. "A 'topping out' ceremony marks huge milestone at 'The Ewart'". 23 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  10. "Lyons visits completed Ulster University campus". economy-ni.gov.uk. 28 September 2022.
  11. "FCBS scoops planning for £250m Belfast campus". architectsjournal.co.uk. 14 March 2013.
  12. "Belfast City Hall". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  13. "Bruce Street Belfast". McAleer&Rushe. 5 August 2025.
  14. "Huge new office development set for Dublin's Docklands". thejournal.ie. The Journal. 20 October 2015.
  15. Olivia Kelly (31 March 2016). "Green light for plan to build Dublin's tallest office block". Irishtimes.com. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  16. 1 2 "Cork anchor unit for over €13m". Irish Times. 9 April 2008.
  17. "2008 – The Elysian, Eglinton St., Cork". Archiseek. 2010.
  18. "Google snaps up Dublin's landmark Montevetro development". Independent News & Media. 17 February 2011.
  19. "County Hall, County Cork". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage . Retrieved 19 October 2018. Detached rectangular-plan seventeen-storey county hall, built 1968, [..] For many years it stood as the tallest building in Ireland at 67m
  20. "Crowne Plaza Dundalk Could Be Set To Change Hands". Talkofthetown.ie. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018. The 14 storey, 129 bed Crowne Plaza Dundalk opened in September 2007
  21. 1 2 "Citizen Portal Planning". planning.agileapplications.ie. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  22. "Apartment Highlights - The Hudson - Dublin Apartments to Rent". The Hudson. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  23. "€5.5m for hotel and apartments". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 2 April 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  24. "Planning application: Metro Hotel, Dublin Airport, Santry Cross, Ballymun Road, Dublin 9". Dublin City Council. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  25. "Permission granted to build one of Ireland's tallest buildings on site of former Apollo House". TheJournal. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  26. "College Square, Dublin, Planning amendment granting extra 22nd floor". Dublin City Council.
  27. "Elevation Planning Doc" (PDF). Dublin City Council.
  28. "Denis O'Brien secures planning for 15-storey office block in Dublin docklands". Irish Independent. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  29. "2 Grand Canal Quay construction site". www.constructionmap.info. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  30. "John Paul Construction Tops Out Castleforbes Project". www.constructionireland.ie. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  31. "Planning application for 702 units on Castleforbes Industrial Estate site". neasahourigan.com. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  32. O'Moore, Peter (4 December 2023). "Castleforbes Residential Development". John Paul Construction. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  33. "Project Update Archives". John Paul Construction. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  34. "Kainos Headquarters, Belfast". TODD Architects. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  35. "Bankmore Exchange construction begins". Kainos. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  36. "Loft Lines, Titanic Quarter". TODD Architects. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  37. "'Something seriously wrong with planning system' as Belfast's Titanic Centre set to be surrounded by 17-storey blocks of flats while parallels drawn with Waterfront Hall". NewsLetter. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  38. "Planning Committee's green light for new purpose-built student accommodation". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  39. "QUB PBM Student Accommodation Dublin Road". RPP Architects. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  40. "GRAHAM begins works on first Passivhaus PBSA in Belfast". PBSA News. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  41. "MKN applies to convert planned six office units to apartments". Business Post. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  42. "New Children's Hospital at The Royal Victoria Hospital". Isherwood + Ellis Architects. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  43. "Children's Hospital staff celebrate as construction work commences on new hospital". Belfast HSC Trust. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  44. "Marshal Yards, East Road". DBFL Consulting Engineers. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  45. "Building Commences on 554-unit Mashall Yards development". Eagle Street Partners. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  46. "U2 Tower Dublin". Archived from the original on 13 January 2021.
  47. "The Watchtower Dublin". Archived from the original on 11 January 2021.