Transforming a Kerry landmark, long-established local contracting company Ned O’Shea Construction Ltd.’s stunning redevelopment of the old CBS building into Sacred Heart University Dingle was recognised at the 2026 Building and Architect of the Year Awards, triumphing in the prestigious ‘Building of the Year – Educational (Under 10M)’ category.
Celebrating and rewarding architectural and construction excellence in Ireland, the 2026 Building and Architect of the Year Awards were presented at a gala ceremony in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry on Thursday, April 23rd.
With the crème de la crème of building and design teams acknowledged, one of the biggest winners on the night was the fantastic Sacred Heart University Dingle redevelopment project, for which MRG Consulting Engineers received the ‘Building of the Year – Educational (Under 10M)’.
Industry-leading local contracting firm Ned O’Shea Construction Ltd. was appointed as main contractor for this landmark project, a decision that reflected not only the company’s proven track record in delivering complex, high-quality schemes, but also its specialist expertise as a registered Heritage Contractor.
For a Kerry-based, family-run business, the appointment carried particular significance. This was not simply a construction contract. It was an opportunity to play a leading role in something that would matter to the community for decades to come.
This award-winning project creates a high-quality third-level educational facility within a restored 19th-century school, preserving its historic features and reconnecting it to the Dingle townscape. It includes a contemporary two-storey rear atrium extension along with conservation repairs and alterations to the existing building and associated landscaping works.
Ned O’Shea Construction Ltd. is a family-run main contractor headquartered in Tralee, County Kerry, with a legacy stretching back more than half a century. Founded in 1969 by the late Ned O’Shea, the company was established on a simple but enduring foundation — a passion for construction, an uncompromising commitment to quality and a deep-rooted pride in contributing to the communities of Kerry and beyond.
Over fifty years on, those founding values remain as central to the business as they were on day one. The O’Shea family is proud to carry forward the vision of the company’s founder, with the name Ned O’Shea remaining synonymous with quality construction throughout County Kerry.
As a registered Heritage Contractor, Ned O’Shea Construction occupies a distinctive position in the Irish construction landscape. The company has the expertise, experience and specialist knowledge to undertake conservation and restoration projects of the highest sensitivity, working with care, technical precision and a genuine respect for Ireland’s built heritage.
This designation is not simply a credential; it reflects decades of hands-on experience working with historic structures, natural stone, traditional materials and conservation-standard methodologies that very few contractors in the country can match.
Beyond heritage work, the company’s portfolio spans a broad range of sectors: retail, education, healthcare, religious institutions, hospitality, residential, industrial and commercial developments. Ned O’Shea Construction also works closely with local authorities and public bodies, contributing to the development of vital infrastructure and community assets across Kerry and the wider Munster region.
The company operates across projects of all scales, from smaller local developments to large, complex construction schemes, always with the same commitment to craftsmanship, client satisfaction and professional integrity that has defined the business since 1969.
The former CBS Building in Dingle, County Kerry is a structure that carries significant meaning for the local community. For generations, it served as a place of education and a fixture of Dingle town’s architectural landscape. When Sacred Heart University, a distinguished American university with strong Irish connections, identified the building as the future home of its Irish campus, it presented an extraordinary opportunity: to give a beloved local landmark a new lease of life, while creating a world-class educational facility that would put Dingle on the international academic map.
“I want to be clear that a project like this is never the work of one company alone, and the standard of what was delivered at SHU Dingle is a reflection of the exceptional team that came together around it,” comments director Ned O’Shea. “MRG provided the architectural and engineering expertise that underpinned the entire project, and their input was invaluable from start to finish.
“The complexity of integrating a new glazed atrium extension into an existing heritage structure and carrying out the structural modifications required to accommodate the new layout, demanded a very high level of engineering precision, and MRG delivered that throughout. We worked closely with them at every stage, and the quality of that collaboration is evident in the finished building.
“On our own side, our Site Manager Stephen Dowling deserves enormous credit. Stephen and his team led the day-to-day delivery of the project on the ground, and his professionalism, attention to detail, and ability to manage the many moving parts of a project of this complexity were outstanding. He is exactly the kind of person you want running a site like this and the quality of the finished work is in no small part down to him. The wider site team all brought the same commitment to quality and professionalism that this project demanded. I am very proud of what they delivered.
“I also want to take the opportunity to recognise the team at Sacred Heart University. They were, quite simply, excellent clients. Their professionalism and their commitment to delivering something truly beautiful was clear from the very first meeting, and it never wavered. They knew what they wanted: a building that would honour the heritage of the site and provide a world-class environment for their students and staff, and they brought a clarity of vision and a collaborative spirit to every conversation throughout the project.
“A project of this nature succeeds when everyone is pulling in the same direction. The client, the design team, the contractor – when the trust and communication are there, and when everyone shares the same ambition for the end result, it shows in the finished building. That is exactly what happened here, and it is something I am genuinely grateful for.”
The scope of the works was comprehensive. On the external envelope, Ned O’Shea Construction carried out extensive conservation-standard stonework repairs, repointing of the existing masonry, and a programme of façade upgrades, all guided by conservation best practices and carried out by craftspeople with genuine expertise in working with historic stone. Specialist lime mortars, sourced from registered heritage suppliers, were used throughout. The result is an exterior that has been sensitively restored while presenting a fresh, upgraded face to the town.
The glazed atrium extension was one of the most technically challenging and visually striking elements of the project. Bringing natural light and a real sense of openness into the heart of the building, the atrium required significant structural modifications and an extremely precise interface between the new-build elements and the existing structure. Getting that right was a key challenge, and the engineering and construction teams rose to it.
Internally, the project involved a full fit-out across classrooms, offices, and communal areas, mechanical and electrical installations throughout, internal plastering, painting, flooring, bespoke joinery and carpentry, fire stopping, and the installation of life safety systems. Every finish was selected and executed to the standard one would expect of a leading international university, and the spaces reflect that.
“When you walk through the finished building, what strikes you is how naturally the old and new sit together,” Ned continues. “The modern fit-out feels genuinely at home within the historic fabric of the structure. The spaces are bright, functional, and impressive, but they have not lost the character of the original building. That balance is something the whole team worked hard to achieve.
“The transformation of the former CBS Building into the Sacred Heart University campus in Dingle is something we are enormously proud of. This is a beautiful building in a beautiful town, and it has been given a future that does justice to its past.
“To have it recognised as Building of the Year (Educational, under €10m) is a tremendous honour,” Ned concludes. “But the credit belongs to the whole team, MRG Consulting Engineers, our site team, the subcontractors and suppliers, and the people at Sacred Heart University who believed in what we were all trying to achieve together.
“We are a Kerry company, and this is a Kerry building. We couldn’t be prouder.”
Ned O’Shea Construction Ltd.,
Rock Business Centre,
Rock Street,
Tralee,
County Kerry.
Tel: 066 7121240
Mobile: 086 2658973
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.nedoshea.com
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, August 2026, Vol 12 No 8
featured, Ned O’Shea Construction
