The Irish Times Dublin crane count was down to 117 on April 1st from a record high of 123 in March.
This is the first drop in the count for six months but is still comfortably above the 102 recorded on November 1st last year when the survey started a run of five record highs in a row.
However, April's total surveyed from the top floor of the newspaper's offices on Tara Street in Dublin 2 is nearly four times the 31 cranes recorded on February 1st, 2016, when this newspaper's crane survey was first launched.
There were 70 cranes (down four) visible on the southside in April but clearance work is proceeding on a number of city centre infill sites with construction expected to start shortly.
There were 47 cranes visible on the northside – down two on last month – but this is likely to increase as a number of large schemes are due to go on site soon in the north docklands.
A striking feature of this month’s crane count is how evenly spread Dublin’s building boom now is. Previously, there were distinct concentrations – particularly in the south docklands and in some suburban locations – but cranes are now visible in most neighbourhoods.
The Irish Times will continue to conduct a crane survey once a month to track construction levels in the city centre.
