Galway-based N&T Hogan Construction possesses the men, machinery, experience, knowhow and unerring attention to detail to consistently deliver an impressive portfolio of industry-leading educational projects. Building Ireland went west and interrupted hands-on managing director Nigel Hogan’s busy schedule to find out more about this exceptional, nationally-respected contractor which specialises in all aspects of construction and civils.
N&T Hogan Construction in conjunction with modular classroom providers offer a modern educational solution, providing students with a comfortable and high-quality environment for learning. Operating nationwide out of Kiltormer in County Galway, the meticulous N&T team provides a turnkey, bespoke service that includes full project management from design and construction through to installation, fit out and handover.
Although the company boasts a wealth of expertise of all project types and sectors of the industry, N&T Hogan Construction has developed organically into an educational project specialist, delivering a stunning succession of modern, comfortable, efficient and value-added solutions to Department of Education sites the length and breadth of the island.
At the time of writing, proprietor Nigel Hogan and his team were working on providing a historic, pioneering permanent modular building for the Department at one of Munster’s most famous and illustrious secondary schools, St Flannan’s College in Ennis, County Clare.
“This one is a prototype for the Department of Education,” Nigel confirms. “It’s a timberframe permanent structure with 2,500 square metres of floor space. We started working on that one in mid-January with a scheduled completion date of mid-August.”
A project such as this, embracing all the benefits conferred by modern methods of construction, has the potential to completely change how school extensions are designed and built going forward. With up to 70 per cent of the work taking place offsite within a controlled factory setting, N&T Hogan Construction has all the machinery, manpower and experience to ensure equally proficient workmanship and professionalism onsite, where their innate and proven flair for civils invariably comes to the fore.
“We own every machine we operate and that is a massive benefit,” says Nigel. “We buy them, don’t hire them. At the last count, we have 14 excavators ranging from 1.5 tonne up to 23 tonne. I bought the 23-tonne excavator three years ago and it’s never spent a day in the yard.
“It was a good investment, not least because labour is so hard to come by these days. I had two 13-tonners on the go with a driver in each and this one has the same size footprint as those two combined but only needs one diver. It’s more efficient and I moved 7,000 cubic metres in two weeks with it during the groundworks at St Flannan’s.
“We have invested in a Trimble GPS system for two of the newer excavators. Both have auto-hydraulics installed. This allows the machine driver to work unaided and receive the information remotely via email.”
N&T Hogan Construction is a relatively new company, although Niall has a wealth of experience of all aspects of construction. “Myself and my brother Trevor set the company up in 2018,” he reflects. “I’ve been in construction all my life and am a carpenter by trade. I roofed housing estates for many years and worked my way up from foreman to contracts manager and then director.
“I’ve largely stepped back from the carpentry now and focus fully on civils and construction. Most of our work today is with the Department of Education, for whom we’ve completed various projects throughout the country. Most of these are modular building extensions – temporary and permanent new blocks for students.”
From its HQ in Galway, N&T Hogan Construction has successfully delivered an array of projects nationwide. “We’ve been to Donegal and Cork and we are in Dublin at the moment as well as the project in St Flannan’s. We’re also working on a project near Blanchardstown for Ongar Chasers Basketball Club.”
Exceptional levels of quality and service set N&T Hogan Construction apart from other contractors. “We engage 100 per cent with the client and we run a no-snag policy,” Nigel continues. “In all the years I’ve been at this, I’ve not had a single complaint. Schools are a difficult environment to work in but our staff are excellent and they understand how to prioritise safety and student welfare.
“Eighty per cent of the actual site work is done in a live school environment. Although you get to do some of the projects during the summer months, the reality is that you often have to work while the schools are open and to do this seamlessly you need good staff, which I’m lucky to have.”
To this end, N&T Hogan Construction currently has a direct team of twelve employees as well as a large crew of regular subcontractors. “We have a great core of subbies who come back to us whenever we need them. It’s challenging to get good subbies due to the fact that we are in so many different areas of the country for such a short space of time, but it’s working well. We’re at a good size and are happy with the way things are. Once it gets too big, you run the risk of losing control.”
Is MMC the future of construction? And more specifically does it provide the answer to a lot of problems in the education sector? “Under the right contractors, it is. I am very confident that this one in St Flannan’s is going to represent the future for the Department of Education. But it’s also the future for housing and commercial buildings because the trades aren’t there to meet demand.
“Modular buildings are built in a controlled environment and you can reduce the amount of work onsite by 60 per cent. The benefits are massive. Also, it has come along so much over the past five years that you’d honestly find it hard to tell the difference between a modular build and a traditional build.”
As for the future of N&T Hogan Construction, Nigel concludes: “We work every day and that’s the main thing. The work comes to us and we take great pride in what we do. For us, it’s never a case turning up on site and getting out again as quickly as possible. We complete every project to the best of our ability every time and it shows.”
N&T Hogan Construction Ltd.,
Ardberreen,
Kiltormer,
Ballinasloe,
County Galway.
Tel: 09096 80244
Email: [email protected]
Web: hoganconstruction.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, June 2025, Vol 11 No 6
featured, N&T Hogan Construction
