Headquartered just outside Thurles, Co Tipperary, Clancy has quietly built a reputation as one of Ireland’s most dependable construction firms—one grounded in tradition, yet driven by innovation.
As the company approaches a major milestone—80 years in business next year—it finds itself not reflecting on past achievements, but firmly focused on the future. Nowhere is that more evident than in its latest recognition: a nomination in the ‘Healthcare’ category at the 2026 Irish Construction Excellence Awards.
Speaking to Building Ireland, Senior Contracts Manager Garret Nestor offers insight into both the company’s enduring ethos and the ambitious project that has earned national attention—the multi-phase development at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).
Founded by John Clancy in the mid-1940s, the company has grown steadily across three generations, evolving into a nationwide operation with offices in Tipperary, Dublin, and Cork.
From its base in Drangan, Clancy has embraced change without losing sight of its roots, combining decades of experience with a forward-thinking approach to construction.
Central to that evolution has been a commitment to innovation. Clancy continues to invest heavily in new technologies, ensuring clients benefit from greater efficiency and precision. Tools such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) have become integral to its workflow, enabling enhanced collaboration, improved planning and, ultimately, better outcomes.
For Garret, the current pace of business reflects both strong demand and the team’s ability to deliver under pressure.
“It has been very good to be honest,” he said. “We’ve been busy now on the University Hospital Limerick with Phase 1, 2 and 3 complete and Phase 4 commenced in January ’26.
The UHL project is no ordinary construction job. Set within a fully operational hospital, the development required meticulous planning and execution to ensure minimal disruption to critical healthcare services.
Across multiple phases, Clancy has delivered new wards, increasing capacity in one of Ireland’s busiest acute hospitals.
“That’s been going well and we’ve delivered two wards, 32 beds and associated facilities and associated rooms for the wards,” Garret explained. “We did two phases within the last 12 months which was a great achievement.”
Speed, however, has not come at the expense of quality. In fact, one of the most remarkable aspects of the project has been Clancy’s ability to accelerate timelines when needed—particularly during the first phase, when hospital management requested an earlier completion.
“We achieved our program and, at one stage, we were asked if we could accelerate the program on the first phase because they wanted to get patients in before Christmas,” said Nestor.
“We achieved that and knocked a few weeks off the program and got it to a very high standard. The patients were in the beds within three days of the handing over of the building, which was a great achievement.”
That ability to adapt under pressure has been a defining feature of the UHL project. Construction began in May 2024, with Phase 4 scheduled for completion this year. Along the way, the team has navigated a series of complex challenges—from working in a confined courtyard space to managing live services and accommodating significant mid-design structural changes.
The project itself represents a vital addition to Ireland’s healthcare infrastructure. Designed to alleviate capacity pressures, it includes a modern 32-bed ward, support spaces, a shell and core for future expansion, and a fully operational plant room.
Completing such a facility within a live clinical environment required not only technical expertise but a high degree of coordination and teamwork.
Indeed, collaboration has been key. The project brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including the HSE as client, Architects Healy Butler Moffatt, Engineers Horgan Lynch, M & E Consultants Don O’ Malley’s, Fire Consultants Daire Byrne & Associates and Fortress Planning; Garrets quick to acknowledge their contribution.
“We’ve a good team in UHL and our design team have been very helpful in what is a Design & Build project,” he said
“The HSE have been very accommodating to us as well and thanks to all of the design team members and stakeholders for their help along the journey.”
Leadership has also played a crucial role. The project is overseen by Cormac Smith, recently promoted to Clancy’s main board—a move that reflects both his experience and the company’s ongoing investment in talent.
Despite the scale and complexity of the work, Clancy has maintained a strong focus on safety, quality, and efficiency. The use of innovative construction methods, including offsite manufacturing and advanced sequencing techniques, has enabled the team to meet tight deadlines without compromising standards.
The results speak for themselves. The building was completed on December 19th, 2024, and patients were admitted just three days later—a turnaround that underscores both the urgency of the project and the effectiveness of its delivery.
The nomination at the Irish Construction Excellence Awards is, in many ways, a recognition of these efforts. For Nestor and the team, it is both an honour and a validation of their work.
“We’re delighted to be nominated,” he stated. “It’s always nice to be recognised and the team at UHL are very appreciative of it.”
Yet beyond awards and accolades, the project’s true impact lies in its contribution to public health. By expanding capacity at UHL, Clancy has helped ensure that more patients can access timely care—a tangible benefit for the wider community.
Looking ahead, the company shows no signs of slowing down. While Nestor continues to focus primarily on the Limerick site, he also lends support to other projects, including work at St Vincent’s Hospital. This flexibility reflects Clancy’s broader approach—one that combines local expertise with a national reach.
So what sets Clancy apart in a competitive industry?
According to Nestor, it comes down to a combination of values and innovation.
“I think our core values are a big part of it,” he said. “I think it’s very important that we’re working in line with our core values and I think digitalisation has helped us a lot. Lean practices in construction have helped us as well and modern methods of construction. That has been key to the fast turnaround and handing over the three phases in UHL.”
As the company prepares to celebrate eight decades in business, those principles remain as relevant as ever. In an industry often defined by tight margins and tighter deadlines, Clancy’s success lies in its ability to balance tradition with progress—delivering projects that not only meet expectations but exceed them.
In Limerick, that philosophy has taken concrete form—quite literally—in a healthcare facility built at speed, under pressure and with purpose. It is a project that encapsulates everything Clancy stands for: quality, collaboration and a commitment to making a difference where it matters most.
Clancy
Head Office:
Ballylusky,
Drangan,
Thurles,
Co Tipperary
Tel: 052 91 52166
Fax: 052 91 52280
E-mail: [email protected]
Eircode E41 H398
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, July 2026, Vol 12 No 7
