The firm is due to start work in January next year on the long-planned overhaul of the charity’s Camden Square headquarters, with the new centre scheduled to reopen in the first quarter of 2029.

Designed by Coffey Architects, the three-storey redevelopment will retain the building’s original street façade while creating a modern cultural, welfare and community hub for the Irish community in Britain.

The scheme will provide a 400-seat theatre and performance venue, a 130-seat studio theatre and cinema, heritage archive, library, community and enterprise spaces, welfare facilities, café, bar and social areas.

London Irish Centre chair Rosaleen Blair said: “The award is a huge milestone, which follows almost 10 years of careful planning. In Sisk, we have engaged a world-class builder to deliver a world-class home that matches the aspirations of the Irish diaspora in Britain.”

Sisk Construction UK managing director Ger Hayes added: “We are extremely proud to have been selected as main contractor and to be entrusted with the construction of the new London Irish Centre in Camden.”

The charity said it has secured pledges covering a significant proportion of the project’s estimated cost and is continuing its fundraising campaign to secure the remaining finance.

During the two-year build programme, welfare services will relocate to temporary offices near Camden Square while cultural events will be hosted at partner venues across London.