1 Overview
1.1 What are the main trends/significant developments in
the lending markets in your jurisdiction?
Lending activity in Ireland, like business activity more
generally, was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As
the year went on, however, activity levels improved and a number of
sectors showed considerable resilience, including lending for real
estate development (particularly in the residential sector and
notably for social and affordable residential developments),
lending to investment funds and leveraged/acquisition finance as
M&A and management buyout activity held up well. However, many
lenders in the Irish market – as across the globe –
spent a considerable amount of their time in 2020 managing the
fallout from the pandemic. This was particularly notable in those
sectors most immediately impacted by restrictive measures, such as
leisure, hospitality and childcare.
