AI infrastructure investment in Ireland is now legible in trade statistics as CSO data illustrates that goods imports in the office machines and data processing equipment category – covering servers, GPUs and AI computing hardware, accumulated to €20.5bn in 2025 – over double the €9bn recorded in 2023. In the first five months of 2026 the figure reached €16.2bn.
CBRE Research identifies this import activity as a top indicator for industrial and logistics demand. The physical delivery, storage and handling of AI computing hardware generates direct requirements for logistics space, and the concentration of data centre construction. Two of the five largest Q2 transactions involved occupiers with direct links to data centre infrastructure and supply chain operations.
“The scale of AI-related infrastructure investment in Ireland is now clearly visible in the data, and it is beginning to show up in our transaction numbers.
“Two of the five largest deals in Q2 were directly linked to the data centre supply chain, and we expect this to become a more consistent feature of the market over time. At the same time, the rental story is positive – both prime and second-hand rents moved in Q2, underpinned by a genuine shortage of quality product in the right locations.
“Take-up in H1 is below where we would like it, but the pipeline of active requirements coming through for H2 is encouraging and the fundamentals of this market remain strong.”
Garrett McClean, Executive Director and Head of Industrial & Logistics, CBRE
The largest transaction of Q2 2026 was CEL Critical Power’s new letting of Unit 7 at Mountpark Grange Castle West, reaching 12,912 sqm (139,000 sq ft) on the N4 corridor in west Dublin.
The deal is the only transaction in H1 2026 to surpass 9,290 sqm (100,000 sq ft) and a key new-build industrial letting recorded in Dublin this year. This follows one of the largest deals in Q1, with Sims Lifecycle Limited, a data centre parts decommissioning specialist, occupying a space at Vantage Business Park.
Dublin’s uptake totalled 55,831 sqm in Q2 2026, broadly in line with Q2 2025 (57,304 sqm) and marks an improvement on Q1 (39,457 sqm). At H1 cumulative take-up stands at 95,288 sqm, roughly 24% below the 10-year H1 average of 124,665 sqm.
CBRE Research expects H2 activity to be stronger as several transactions at new-build schemes are at advanced stages, multi-let industrial demand remains active, and further leasing is expected.
Prime rents for new stock rose 2% in Q2, reaching €156.10 psm (€14.50 psf). A cluster of deal evidence underlines the move – CBRE’s prime rent proxy, a 4,645 sq m (50,000 sq ft) modern logistics unit – transacted at this level across several schemes in the quarter. Second-hand prime rents also increased, up 4% quarter-on-quarter to €129.16 psm (€12.00 psf).
Regional and GDA activity was a feature of H1, with Cork and Kildare recording notable transactions. In Cork, Kuehne+Nagel pre-let 6,290 sqm at Anchor Business Park. While in Kildare, Momentum Logistics Park saw two deals, for Unit 28A (3,373 sq m) and Unit 39B (1,079 sq m) respectively.
Occupier activity stretches past the Dublin border into neighbouring counties like Kildare, Meath and Louth. Notable deals are also anticipated to sign in H2 in Dundalk and Longford.
Industrial and logistics assets accounted for over 50% of total Q2 investment volumes at €512.5m. The defining transaction of the period was GIC’s acquisition of Horizon Logistics Park from Henderson Park for €500m. Prime Dublin I&L yields held at 5.00% supported by deal evidence.
