Trade and Other Receivables - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Trade and other receivables [Abstract]
Trade and amount receivables	P90D

Trade Receivables And Amounts Receivable In Respect Of Construction Contracts Collection Period

No definition available.

Name:	crh_TradeReceivablesAndAmountsReceivableInRespectOfConstructionContractsCollectionPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	crh_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration