Industry-leading, family-run, Donegal-based main contractor Glebe Builders were shortlisted in the prestigious Contractor of the Year category for the 2025 ICI Awards – a stunning endorsement of a company that consistently delivers workmanship of the very highest calibre.
Each year, only the best of the best make the Contractor of the Year shortlist at the Irish Construction Industry Awards.
A third-generation family-run company operating out of Laghey in Co Donegal and with more than half a century’s experience in successfully delivering an impressive portfolio of residential, educational, commercial, industrial and healthcare projects, Glebe Builders is very much in the conversation in 2025 and thoroughly deserves to be placed in such elite company.
“We were absolutely delighted to be shortlisted,” confirms Charlotte Kelly, HR & Personnel Development Manager. “It was one of my goals for this year and it’s nice to have made that shortlist. When it was announced that we’d made the Contractor of the Year shortlist, we were thrilled. Just look at the competition in that category – it’s great to be in that company.”
One of the many excellent projects delivered by Glebe Builders in the past twelve months was the new Lidl store in Enfield, County Meath. Glebe Builders were awarded construction of the store in early July 2024 and the project duration was 29 weeks, from greenfield site to turnkey handover.
From the outset, the project presented several challenges. Glebe Builders’ head office (as well as the majority of their projects) is located in Donegal, over 200km from Enfield. At the time, Glebe Builders’ direct labour force was engaged on many projects close to home, which meant they needed to recruit staff from the local market.
Recruitment began immediately, with several interviews taking place to assemble a competent project team, which comprised Director of Operations David Kelly, Quantity Surveyor Enda Sherry, Project Manager Graham Wilson, Site Manager Shane Gibbons, Senior Engineer Ronan McCann, Site Engineer Darren Coyle and Site Clerk Brian Rice.
The Project Manager, Engineers & Quantity Surveyor were based in Donegal, which presented logistical challenges around working away from home. To ensure a healthy and productive work-life balance, it was agreed they would stay onsite three nights per week, with accommodation provided.
The site itself was located on a busy road just off the Dublin Road, with high volumes of traffic and a secondary school in close proximity. Early in the project, significant security challenges were faced, including several attempted break-ins. These were addressed by employing a full-time security guard and installing a monitored security tower.
Additionally, at the start of the school term, there were concerns around safety due to increased traffic and site deliveries coinciding with school drop-off and pick-up times. This was addressed by restricting deliveries during these peak periods and hiring a site clerk to manage vehicle movements and ensure student safety.
The biggest challenge faced on this project was the tight programme deadline of only 29 weeks from start to finish. There was no room for delay, as every single day counted. To meet this ambitious timeline, Glebe Builders engaged local suppliers and subcontractors, ensuring strong regional collaboration and responsiveness. Effective procurement was a cornerstone of the project’s success, and several key strategies were implemented to maintain momentum and control costs.
“With Lidl projects, they are by their very nature extremely fact-paced and the pressure is in from the beginning,” Charlotte continues. “With only 29 weeks, it’s a very fast-paced environment and you are problem-solving all the time. For the Enfield store, you had your in-house team and up to 70 subbies to manage and also the additional logistical challenges of being based in Donegal.
“There are very specific demands on the contractor and not everybody can meet that 29-week deadline – you can either do it or you can’t. It’s not easy but once you deliver the project on time and within budget, you will get more.”
Glebe Builders’ continued success is rooted in a strong work ethic and an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. They pride themselves on delivering value for money while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety. Central to this approach is fostering a collaborative environment where clients, design teams, subcontractors and suppliers work together closely to achieve exceptional results.
The company’s active participation in multiple public-sector building frameworks has equipped them with a deep understanding of clients’ objectives. As a result, they have successfully delivered a wide variety of residential and commercial projects throughout nearly every region of Ireland.
From the beginning, their mission has been clear: to provide a comprehensive range of construction solutions tailored to modern building and community needs. They remain committed to delivering these solutions in an innovative, cost- effective and timely manner whilst staying laser-focused on client requirements and implementing the highest standards of building quality.
Glebe Builders maintain a strong and positive relationship with Lidl, having delivered their first Lidl store in Tyrrelstown in 2023. Their consistent ability to exceed expectations has led to the awarding of multiple follow-on contracts and they are currently delivering new Lidl stores in Claregalway, County Galway; Ballymahon, County Longford; and closer to home in Bundoran, County Donegal.
“We’ve also done a couple of Aldi stores, which were also very successful, but the tighter programme of the Lidl stores definitely makes them unique, presenting challenges which we welcome and embrace. As a company, you have to strive to continually progress. One initiative we introduced on the Enfield store has since been rolled out across all our sites – you are constantly learning, adapting and applying your learnings to better meet the needs of clients.”
Some other ongoing or recently-completed projects include 42 social houses in Bundoran, 74 private houses at Westport, Donegal town, an IDA Advanced Technology Unit in Letterkenny, an extension to the Abbey Vocational School in Donegal town, a new 26-bed ward at St John’s Hospital in Sligo and enabling works at Jazz Pharma Plant in Athlone.
Direct employment is generated for a team of 56 and Charlotte attributes all the success of Glebe Builders to their fantastic workers: “It’s the team that does all the work and without them, you’d have nothing.
“The company was originally founded by the late Michael Kelly Snr., and his son Michael took over in 1980. In turn, Michael sons David and Darragh became directors in 2020 and have driven the business on in the meantime. Fast forward five years and staff numbers and turnover have grown steadily year on year.
“David has an operations role and is very active across all the sites, while Darragh is involved in the finance side, and Michael is also still very much involved in day to day activities.”
Glebe Builders rubbed shoulders with the crème de la crème of Ireland’s Tier One contractors at the 2025 Irish Construction Industry Awards. Was it always the plan to become one of the country’s go-to main contractors?
“Not necessarily – the goal from the start has been to do our very best at everything we do,” Charlotte concludes. “We always wanted to excel and to do this you have to employ the best people and create the right culture within the company – it’s a combined effort from top to bottom and every member of the team contributes to this.
“We weren’t thinking about anyone else or comparing ourselves to other companies. We were competing only with ourselves, setting our own standards and challenging ourselves at all times to be the best we can be. When you insist on excellence and consistently deliver every project to the highest standards, that’s how you build lasting relationships with clients.”
Glebe Builders,
Unit 4, Trummon East
Trummon West
Laghey
Donegal
Tel: 074 9721128
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, Winter 2025, Vol 11 No 14
