DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland Returns for Series 5

Transforming Homes, Transforming Lives

Presenter Baz Ashmawy and his team take on four life-changing builds across Kildare, Limerick, Wicklow and Offaly in the new series.

DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland, the series that transforms homes and transforms lives, returns for a brand new series this Sunday October 4 at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player.

Chief motivator Baz Ashmawy is back at the helm, meeting four deserving families whose lives will be transformed as the DIY SOS team takes on ambitious builds across Kildare, Limerick, Wicklow and Offaly.

As always, Baz is joined by a talented team of designers, builders, tradespeople, volunteers and suppliers who come together to create homes that are not only beautiful, but tailored to the unique needs of each family.

Renowned designer Kerry Hiddleston drives the Limerick and Offaly builds, while Gwen Kenny leads the Kildare project. Bray native Jenny Butler takes on the Wicklow build. The gardens are also given the DIY SOS treatment, with established garden teams bringing their expertise to each project. Sean Keighran takes on the Offaly garden, while Jorge Arag n works on the Kildare and Limerick builds. In Bray, Claire Hawker and Dylan Doyle join forces to transform the outdoor space.

At the heart of DIY SOS is the extraordinary generosity of the people who make each build possible. From volunteers and tradespeople to designers, suppliers and local communities, every project demonstrates what can be achieved when people come together to support a family in need.

Across the four-part series, four homes and four gardens will be transformed in 2026 - each carefully designed and built around the individual needs of the families at the centre of each story.

Baz said, I found some of these stories absolutely heartbreaking but I learned so much from these four families. I'm fascinated by their resilience and really admire how determined they are. They are amazing moms and dads who want the best for their kids. It's so heartwarming to see hundreds of volunteers come together to try to help these families through a tough time. It sounds corny but it really does restore your faith in humanity.

Episode One, Painstown, Kildare The Connolly Family

The new series opens with a deeply personal project for Ramona and her five-year-old son, Oran, in Kildare.

When Ramona's husband, Daragh, died suddenly and unexpectedly in December 2025, she and Oran were left facing a devastating future without their husband and father. The family had been in the process of building their forever home when tragedy struck.

Daragh's death left Ramona without a mortgage, life insurance or the financial means to complete the house he had poured so much of his heart and soul into. Now, Baz and the DIY SOS team step in to help complete the home and create a place where Ramona and Oran can begin to look towards the future.

Further episodic information on the other three episodes in Notes to Editor below.

With four homes, four gardens and hundreds of people coming together, the new series of DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland once again celebrates the extraordinary impact that can be made when a community joins forces.

DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland returns Sunday October 4 at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player.

ENDS

Rayna Connery, RT Senior Communications Lead

LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2026/10/02/diy-sos-the-big-build-ireland-returns-...
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