CIOB Ireland Construction Conference 2026

Dr Alan Hore is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and a leading advocate for digital transformation and Modern Methods of Construction in Ireland. He is a founding Director of the Construction IT Alliance (CitA) and Programme Lead for Skillnet MMC Accelerate in Ireland.

With more than 30 years’ experience across industry, academia and professional practice, Alan has led numerous national initiatives focused on BIM, digital construction, innovation and workforce development. He works extensively with government, industry and education stakeholders to support the adoption of more productive, technology-enabled and industrialised approaches to construction.

Dr. Barry McCarron is Managing Director of KORE Retrofit, one of Ireland’s leading retrofit one-stop shops. A former Chairperson of the Passive House Association of Ireland and current Visiting Professor at Ulster University, Barry holds a PhD in indoor radon monitoring in Passive House buildings. He has represented Ireland at UN Climate Change Conferences (COP17, COP26 and COP27) and presented research at institutions including the University of Toronto, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Penn State University. An award-winning sustainability advocate and industry leader, Barry is a recognised voice on housing, retrofit, building performance, and climate action.

Claire Irwin is a Registered Quantity Surveyor with extensive experience in construction cost management, procurement, and project delivery across residential, commercial, and retrofit projects in Ireland. She specialises in providing robust cost control, contract administration, and financial oversight throughout all stages of the construction lifecycle, ensuring projects are delivered efficiently, transparently, and within budget.

She is also recognised as a leading Quantity Surveyor in the management of defective block homes in Donegal, where she works on complex remediation projects requiring careful cost planning, stakeholder coordination, and technical oversight in challenging residential rebuild and repair schemes.

She has been the resident Quantity Surveyor on RTÉ’s Room to Improve since 2018, where she provides clear, practical advice on budgeting and cost implications, helping to balance design ambition with financial reality on complex residential projects.

In addition to her work in quantity surveying and television, Claire serves as a Project Coordinator for the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland-supported initiatives. In this role, she contributes to the delivery of energy retrofit and sustainability projects, supporting coordination between stakeholders, contractors, and funding schemes to help ensure successful implementation of SEAI programmes. She has a strong personal passion for sustainability and the retrofit of existing homes, with a particular focus on improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon impact in Ireland’s housing stock, and advancing deep retrofit solutions that make homes warmer, healthier, and more cost-effective to run, while supporting the broader transition toward more sustainable building practices across the sector.

More recently, Claire was part of a consortium involved in the development and establishment of a Level 8 undergraduate apprenticeship degree in Quantity Surveying, helping to strengthen education pathways into the profession and support the development of future industry talent through more accessible, work-based learning routes.

With more than 25 years’ experience in the construction industry, Darren’s expertise has been shaped by a strong technical background as a Chartered Civil Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Ireland. He has held several leadership roles throughout his career, delivering complex projects across multiple sectors while building high-performing teams and strong client relationships.

Having joined BAM in 2000 as a graduate engineer, he now leads the company’s building, property and facilities management business. During this time, Darren has been awarded the Chartered Institute of Building’s Construction Manager of the Year Gold Award, recognising his commitment to leadership, mentoring and developing his team.

Joanne White is a lecturer in the School of Built Environment in Dundalk Institute of Technology, and a former Contractors QS. As the founder of Women in Construction Ireland, WICI, she is passionate about promoting gender equality and supporting women's advancement in the construction industry.

With over 15 years of experience in various roles within the sector, Joanne has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities women face in this field. Her extensive academic research focuses on the integration of diversity in construction, and she has conducted numerous acedemic papers researching the area of women in constryction and fostering inclusive workplaces.

Joanne is also an active advocate for policy changes that support women in construction, often speaking at conferences and contributing to industry discussions. Her commitment to mentorship and community engagement continues to inspire the next generation of female leaders in the industry.

Being a busy Mammy to two young children, she knows first-hand the challenge that the industry can bring to Women trying to advance their career.

Joseph Kilroy is the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) Policy and Public Affairs Manager in Ireland. His work focuses on sustainability, housing, planning, and mental health in the construction sector. Prior to joining the CIOB Joseph held advisory roles in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Office of the Planning Regulator and the Royal Town Planning Institute. He has published policy papers on governance, planning reform, housing delivery, job quality in the construction sector, Ireland’s rental sector, and local authority led housing delivery.

For over two decades, Lorcan has been lecturing in valuations, housing, urban economics, and planning and development at the Technological University Dublin. A former housing columnist for The Sunday Times, he still regularly writes on housing and related topics for The Irish Times, as well as various other publications. Housing is such a broad church of different areas and topics, it is a fascinating aspect of life to write about. Lorcan has a BSc in Estate Management from the University of Greenwich, and an MA and PhD in planning and development from the University of Manchester. He has just finished a seven-year term as a board member of the Irish Refugee Council.

Sarah Hallinan is the CIOB Regional Manager for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Sarah’s work involves developing key industry stakeholder relationships with industry bodies and local employers, developing, and managing regional activity including: member progression support, business plans and budgets and a valuable programme of CPD and events.

Sarah works closely with construction companies across Ireland and delivers CIOB Membership Information presentations to all company employees.

Before joining the CIOB Sarah worked as a legal professional in a general practice law firm and a local Authority for many years also.

With 25 years’ experience in the construction industry, Sinead brings extensive expertise across project management, quantity surveying, business development, strategic planning, pre-construction and training. Sinead holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management from Trinity College Dublin, an Honours Degree in Quantity Surveying and a Higher National Diploma in Building Technology.

An active contributor to several industry committees, she has also served as an External Examiner at Dublin Institute of Technology. Passionate about mentoring and supporting construction professionals, she champions career development, mental health awareness and a kinder, more supportive industry.

With extensive experience across both the industrial and higher education sectors, Dr. Trevor is deeply committed to bridging the gap between education and industry through meaningful collaboration and applied engagement. Through his departments in Letterkenny, Sligo and Galway, Trevor has led the creation of Ireland’s largest suite of online programmes and consortium led apprenticeships for the Irish construction sector.

Trevor holds a Doctor of Education, specialising in change and leadership in higher education. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Ireland, as well as a certified Project Management Professional. His academic and professional qualifications also include an MBA from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Certificate in BIM and the Digital Environment.
His research and consultancy interests span leadership, project and change management, lean thinking, and process optimisation. Since 2018, Trevor has served as a founding director of Lean Construction Ireland (LCi) and currently holds the role of Treasurer.