Operating out of Arklow in County Wicklow, Mordaunt Construction is an exceptional, family-run company that has been consistently delivering industry-leading building services for coming up on 30 years. Building Ireland sat down with director Paddy Mordaunt to find out more.
Twenty-twenty-six will be a landmark year for Mordaunt Construction Ltd. as, in March, this highly-regarded second-generation family business will celebrate its 30th anniversary.
Members of The National Guild of Master Craftsmen, Mordaunt Construction are synonymous with exacting workmanship and – with the keenest attention to detail always to the fore – have completed an impressive portfolio of commercial and residential projects for public and private clients down through the years.
Tradition and reputation mean everything to the skilled team at Mordaunt Construction, who specialise in new builds, extensions and renovations across the Garden County and sometimes beyond. In many respects, founder and proprietor Paddy Mordaunt is a no-nonsense builder who keeps his head down and gets on with the work:
“We price the work and then, if we get the project, we’ll do the best job we can,” he states matter-of-factly. It’s an approach that has served him well thus far! “The focus is on good work. No frills, no thrills. Every project gets the same attention to detail and we will always leave a good finish behind. That’s how you get more work.
“It’s all word of mouth and referrals. Clear communication is very important. Before we do anything, we like to talk to people and find out exactly what it is they want. That’s the best way. Even with the best will in the world, architects might not always come up with the plan that best reflects what the client wants or what is going to suit them best.
“Wherever possible, we like to sit down and talk directly with the client and find out what they’re looking for in a home. As a builder, your objective is to come up with a finished project that meets their demands and you also want to give them value for money. It’s not easy with the cost of materials and with labour being so scarce, but you do the best you can for everybody.”
A block layer by trade, and a man boasts vast experience and expertise of construction having worked in the industry all his life, Paddy is passionate about building and has also surrounded himself with a brilliant team of skilled, motivated and conscientious people who share his deep-rooted values.
“I’m very lucky to have a great team of people here,” he comments. “Mick and Alison, my son and daughter, are heavily involved and they more or less run the business now. John McCarthy runs the workshop and is a great man to have around.
“We have the same crew with us down through the years and everybody knows what they are doing. You could say we’re all growing old together! In total, we employ twelve people directly and on top of that a large number of subcontractors. You’re only as good as your staff, subcontractors and suppliers, so we are inclined to stick with the same ones once they show that they can work to the standards we expect.”
Demand for Mordaunt Construction’s services is strong but Paddy refuses to take on work for the sake of it. The last thing he wants is to overstretch his team, which would compromise the very cornerstones of the business: quality, service, value and the personal touch.
“We’d generally have three or four nice projects going at any given time. We do a good mix of work. It took a while to get here but we’re now in the position of being able to choose our projects. As I said, manpower is scarce, and that will dictate how much work you can do, so you have to select the jobs that suit and give them your full attention.”
A great recent example of the quality craftsmanship delivered on a consistent basis by Mordaunt Construction Ltd. is the spectacular renovation and extension of a small cottage in Ballinaclash, near Rathdrum, which made the final of RTE’s Home of the Year in 2023. The existing cottage was completely gutted and rebuilt / upgraded into a stunning, energy-efficient new living space perched within the most picturesque setting.
“That was a nice one to be involved in,” says Paddy. “We can look back on that with a lot of satisfaction, but we really take great personal pride in every project we do. No two days are the same – there’s great variety in our work.
“We do a lot of work for Wicklow Port – we recently refurbished the old customs office there – and we built 14 fisherman’s huts at Arklow Harbour. We do a lot of harbour restoration work. We built a new community centre for Saint Saviour’s Church of Ireland in Arklow and have also done various bespoke new builds in the Bray, Wicklow town and Arklow areas.”
There’s nothing Mordaunt Construction can’t do. During the boom years, they built a number of housing schemes ranging from 15-50 units, while they also take on specialist work adapting rooms / homes for people with special needs. No matter what the nature or scope of the project is, one thing that’s guaranteed is that every aspect of the work will always receive the meticulous attention to detail that has been Mordaunt Construction’s hallmark for the best part of 30 years and counting!
Mordaunt Construction Ltd.,
22-25 Harbour Road,
Arklow,
County Wicklow.
Tel: 086 2665177 / 1735422
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, March 2026, Vol 12 No 3
featured, Mordaunt Construction
