Cork-founded construction group Sisk sees profits pass €74m

The Cork-founded company which built the new Pep Guardiola stand at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, as well as Limerick’s new Bons Secours Hospital, has seen pre-tax profits pass €74m.

Construction group Sisk this week reported turnover of €2.624bn in its latest financial results.

Sicon Limited, the parent company of John Sisk & Son’s construction and related businesses in Ireland, Britain, and Europe, saw profit before tax increasing by 27.7% to €74.2m in 2025.

Key projects in 2025 included development work for the €150m Adare bypass, which is due to be completed in 2027 ahead of the return of the Ryder Cup in Ireland; the Frame office development on Baggot St in Dublin, and the new AstraZeneca pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing facility near Blanchardstown in Dublin, which opened in April.

Other projects included the completion of a 96-bed ward at University Limerick Hospital, with a contract agreed for a further 96-bed ward there. Meanwhile, the impressive €213m Bon Secours Hospital in Limerick opened in Ballysimon this year, the first large acute hospital to be built in Ireland in almost 20 years.

Group turnover was €2.624bn, down from €2.752bn in 2024, but operating profit increased by 37.9% to €67m while it said gross margin improved to 7.6%, from 6% in the prior year. The group’s advance order book now stands at €7.2bn.

Data centres

In Ireland, Sisk said its Irish operations had strong levels of activity across construction sectors including data centres, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, commercial development, residential, and civil engineering.

Turnover in Ireland was €1.379bn in 2025.

Over €1bn of turnover came from the UK, where key projects included the expansion of City’s Etihad Stadium, with the Pep Guardiola Stand increasing capacity from 53,400 seats to 62,700.

The business was active in several mainland European markets including the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, and Denmark.

Sisk chief executive Paul Brown said: “2025 was another strong year for Sisk. We experienced increased profitability, improved margins, and continued to strengthen our market positioning in our key market sectors while maintaining a disciplined approach to growth and investment.

“Our performance in the year reflects the quality of our order book, the expertise of our teams and the consistent focus across the business on disciplined growth, innovative delivery excellence, and a focus on improving our quality of earnings.”

Cash at year’s end stood at €338.1m, with a further €54.2m held in short-term investments, bringing total cash and investments to €392.3m.

In October 2025, the group completed the acquisition of Farrans Limited, expanding its civil engineering and infrastructure capability across Ireland and Britain. The business operates on a standalone basis within the wider Sisk Group.

Over 90% of the group’s turnover is derived from contracting and related activities.

The Sisk Group, which was originally founded by John Sisk in Cork in 1859, remained debt-free at year end.