A novel contractor fueled by a genuine passion for building, Mulroy Management & Construction has hit the ground running since its inception in early 2025. As the company’s first anniversary draws near, Building Ireland travelled north west to Donegal and touched base with founder Damien McVey.
The story behind the genesis of Mulroy Management & Construction Ltd. in Donegal is a unique one. This is quite a distinct operation – founded by a restless man with an insatiable passion for building – and in many respects it’s the distinguishing factors that make Damien McVey’s contracting company a truly exceptional one.
Specialising in new house builds, Mica-affected rebuilds, extensions and fit outs, Mulroy Management & Construction was set up by school teacher Damien McVey in February, 2025 and has enjoyed a busy and successful first twelve months in business.
The man behind this fledgling business has retained his teaching job as well as running the construction firm and possesses seemingly-boundless energy and enthusiasm for both roles.
“Some people do a bit of farming on the side and others play a lot of sport. For me, it’s building. This is my passion. This is what I love doing. It’s certainly not a hobby. This is something I always wanted to do and I put my full undivided attention into every project we take on.”
Reflecting on the formation of the business last February, the Donegal man continues: “I always wanted to go down this road and do different things. I never really got the opportunity until now, but when the opportunity presented itself I had to take it.
“As I’m sure you know, we are in a bit of crisis here in Donegal with the Mica situation. Even though I was teaching, a few people approached me because they knew I had been involved in construction in the past. They asked me to look at their houses and see if I could do anything to help, so it was a case of now or never…”
Damien’s love of building goes back to when he was at primary school. His uncle and his uncle’s uncle, Danny and Tommy, used to build houses locally on a modest scale and any opportunity the young Damien got at weekends or in the evenings to go and help out he’d grab with both hands.
“The bug bit back then and it’s just stayed with me ever since,” he says. “After completing my Leaving Cert, I wanted to get a trade and opted for mechanical engineering. I got my degree in engineering and then went back into construction as that’s what I always aspired towards. I stuck with carpentry up until the recession and then went back to college and did my HDip and became a secondary-school engineering teacher.”
From there, Damien went to Australia for a while and worked in construction Down Under. He returned home in 2016 and got a job teaching in Mulroy College. “I always kept myself involved in construction, doing small renovations and stuff, and then at the start of 2025 I decided to set the company up.”
It’s a small company size-wise but big on quality. “We have a small team of three on the ground full time, plus myself, and deal with a lot of subbies on top of that. We make sure that whatever we do is done right, that everybody gets a fair deal, and we don’t take on too much. That way we can fully invest ourselves into every project.
“I really enjoy it and even though it’s obviously a business first and foremost I get a lot of personal satisfaction out of seeing projects come to life and there’s nothing better than having a satisfied customer.”
Taking its name from Mulroy Bay, Mulroy Management & Construction is synonymous with new builds and Mica rebuilds. “It was because of these Mica rebuilds that the opportunity came up,” Damien notes. “I saw that there was going to be an opening there because there are so many homes around here that have been affected. While the work is happening to address this issue, it hasn’t really got started yet – there’s so much more to do before this crisis is over.
“A few people approached me and I had the contacts and knew how to go about completing these projects. I have a Mica rebuild beside me at the moment and another in Letterkenny, with another one due to start in January in Milford, so we’re spread across the north west.
“I’m also starting two new builds in the new year – one is a small summer house for a neighbour and the second is in Rathmullen, 15 minutes out the road. We also have the capacity to take on fit outs, retrofits and extensions, so there’s plenty going on.”
Demolishing and rebuilding houses that have been affected by Mica is an arduous and challenging task but one from which the builder can get a big reward in seeing people’s nightmare predicament come to pass as they move into their new homes at the end of it all.
“There’s a lot to it. You have to have your start date planned well in advance so that the homeowner can upload all the data and information into the online portal. We strip back the house and remove everything that can be removed – doors, skirtings, architrave, kitchen, bathrooms, etc. – and it can then be demolished right down to its foundation. After that, once everything is taken away, it’s essentially a complete new build on the old site.
“It’s an unbelievable ordeal for people. The grant is there to help them but they are generally going to also be putting a lot of their own money into it and will end up with a bigger mortgage and more debt than they had initially budgeted for.
“Still, it’s great to see them happy at the end when they move back in to their new home. We want to try to help people as much as we possibly can, give them as good a price as we can and help them put this dreadful and stressful situation behind them.”
In many ways, Mulroy Management & Construction Ltd. is a contractor with a difference, yet at the same time this company is imbued with all the traditional and genuine qualities and values that make construction in Ireland so great.
“So far, so good and none of this would be possible without my team of employees, Barry, Hugh and David, who have been brilliant. Without them, none of this could happen,” Damien concludes. “I’d like to thank them for everything and also a special mention to my wife Helena and kids Ava (3) and Fiadh (2), who have always been incredibly supportive.”
Mulroy Management & Construction Ltd.,
Carland,
Kerrykeel,
Letterkenny,
County Donegal.
Tel: 0851435025
Email: [email protected]
Web: mulroy.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, March 2026, Vol 12 No 3
featured, Mulroy Management & Construction
