Coffey’s Daire Kiernan was delighted to be finalist in the Construction Project Manager category of the Irish Construction Excellence (ICE) Awards.
A native of Belleek, Co. Fermanagh now living in Co. Wexford with his wife Doireann and children Cliodhna (seven), Beibhinn (five) and Croidh (four), Daire was shortlisted for his leadership and delivery excellence as project manager on the Uisce Éireann CDS Midlands Framework and the Chapel Road Upgrade Project.
Over four years, he delivered more than 2,000 water and wastewater connections across Laois, Offaly, Wicklow and Kildare, many in high-risk, live environments. On the Chapel Road project in Co. Wicklow, his team has earned multiple awards for communication and high-quality delivery.
Daire introduced Lean and Last Planner planning systems, improving programme predictability and collaboration with Local Authorities and project partners. He prioritised safety with robust temporary works controls, engineered trench supports and digital reporting tools. Committed to innovation, he adopted horizontal directional drilling, reducing public disruption, improving safety and delivering measurable value for Uisce Éireann.
Known for his collaborative approach, clear communication, and focus on team development, Daire consistently achieves high-quality outcomes and sets a benchmark for community-focused infrastructure delivery in Ireland.
“It was an honour to be nominated for the Construction Project Manager Award. It wouldn’t be possible without the support of my colleagues. It’s recognition for their work as much as mine,” the Erne County man modestly says.
“On joining Coffey in 2018, I started working on the Uisce Éireann Water Network Programme in the South-East, which covers Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford. I then spent four years on the Uisce Éireann CDS Midlands Framework. We had a small crew, so the onus was on foreman Richard Alyward and I to lead it. It was a diverse and logistically very challenging project that kept us on our toes.”
A key part of Coffey’s water, energy, transport and civil division, Daire is currently engaged in the Delgany to Blacklion Chapel Road Improvement Scheme. Now fully open to two-way traffic, Section 1 extends from the Convent Road Roundabout to Eastmount and restores a key connection for residents, schools and local businesses, while delivering meaningful improvements in road safety, accessibility, cycle and pedestrian facilities, and overall journey quality. The completed works include over 1,000 square metres of new concrete footpath to enhance pedestrian movement, alongside more than 3 kilometres of newly-installed service ducting to support future infrastructure requirements.
Works on Section 2 are progressing well, with 4km of additional ducting installed to date, along with approximately 350 metres of new drainage. The wider project will continue in phases through to mid-2026, maintaining a strong focus on active travel, safety and long-term benefit for the local community.
Closer to his Wexford home, Daire helped to deliver essential water infrastructure in Fardystown West as part of Uisce Éireann’s response to the Irish government’s “Housing for All” initiative and in preparation for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Wexford Town. The project involved bringing two new water production wells online at Mulrankin and Mayglass Church. These wells significantly augmented the existing Fardystown Water Supply Scheme (WSS), addressing historical challenges in meeting peak summer demand.
Another recent job Daire was involved with was the Blarney Infrastructure Project which was delivered in partnership with Cork City Council. This project created a shared pedestrian and cycle facility linking the R617 and N20 on-ramps towards Blarney Business Park, improving safety, accessibility and public amenities for the local community.
The award-nominated project manager has garnered a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise since graduating from Ulster University Jordanstown with an honours degree in Quantity Surveying in 2010. He spent the next seven years in Australia where he worked for Tier 1 contractor Leighton’s (now CPB Contractors) on the AUS$1.5bn Gateway upgrade project, which was the largest bridge and road project in Queensland’s history.
Daire also cut his teeth on the Perth City-Perth Airport and Mitchell Freeway upgrades / extensions.
The Irish Construction Excellence Awards are the original and premier recognition of performance excellence for the contracting sector in Ireland, and provide an opportunity for the industry to showcase and reward best practice across the full range of construction disciplines and project categories. It promises to be a night of celebration for Coffey who are also shortlisted in the Innovation in Construction Co T/O €20m to €200m and Public Realm categories for Enfield Wastewater Treatment Plant and Ringaskiddy Active Travel & Urban Realm respectively.
Delivered in partnership with Uisce Éireann, the Enfield Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion project redefines innovation by demonstrating that progress is not exclusive to new technology. This project’s success lies in its creative combination of modern wastewater treatment processes with natural, nature-based solutions (NBS). The result is a treatment plant that operates in harmony with its surrounding environment, while ensuring all final effluent is fully compliant with all requirements.
This nature-based approach delivers significant, measurable benefits unmatched by traditional facilities, including enhanced Carbon Capture, a reduced Carbon Footprint, and substantial savings in both Capital Expenditure (CapEx) and Operational Expenditure (OpEx). While the approach requires a larger footprint, this increased surface area is strategically leveraged to promote biodiversity and wildlife habitat creation, further solidifying the project’s holistic sustainability and excellence.
Delivered in partnership with Cork County Council, the Ringaskiddy Active Travel and Urban Realm project represents a landmark investment in the village’s future. Once seen only as a stopping point on the journey, Ringaskiddy is now being reimagined as a destination in its own right — a place to enjoy the playground, café, pub, and beach.
As the first point of arrival for all visitors who come to Cork by ferry, the village now offers a welcoming and high-quality public realm that sets the tone for their experience of the region. The scheme delivers safe, accessible connections for those arriving on foot or by bike, enabling exploration of the wider area through sustainable transport. For decades, industry thrived around Ringaskiddy while the village itself was starved of investment. Today, that imbalance is being redressed.
At the heart of the community, a beautiful new public space provides safe connectivity to all amenities, including the beach and Haulbowline. This revived built environment is more than an aesthetic improvement — it is a catalyst for economic activity, local services, and community pride. By enhancing safety, accessibility, and vibrancy, the project lays the foundation for Ringaskiddy to flourish as both a gateway to Cork and a thriving destination in its own right.
Coffey was established in 1974 by brothers Paddy and Tom Coffey and has since grown to build a reputation for consistent quality delivery of projects throughout Ireland and the UK in the civil engineering, environmental and building sectors. The headquarters is situated in Athenry, Co. Galway, as is the main depot for the extensive Coffey plant division and technology division, Coftec.
After initial success in the Irish market, Coffey expanded into the UK market in 1988, originally as Coffey Brothers Ltd. A re-brand and name change occurred in 1995 and the group now trades in the UK as Coffey Construction Limited.
In 1994, Coffey entered the property development market in Ireland and constructed the company’s first housing estate in Co. Galway. This initial development paved the way for other developments in the Galway area and the company is still actively involved in the property development sector.
In 2000, having identified the water industry as a key growth area, Coffey sought to expand its service offering by forming a joint venture with the operation specialists Treatment Systems Limited. This joint venture, TSSL, successfully leveraged the expertise and resources of both parties to provide a one-stop-shop for design, build and operate (DBO) services for water and wastewater treatment plants. In 2013, Coffey acquired 100% ownership of TSSL, which was then re-branded Coffey Water Ltd.
In the same year, Coffey and Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) formed a Joint Venture named Coffey Northumbrian Ltd (CNL) to deliver the €50m North Eastern Region of the Domestic Water Metering (DWM) programme in Ireland. The success of the DWM contract has been followed by further contract success with CNL securing 30% of Irish Water’s four-year Water Network Programme in 2017 and further major DBO contracts in the water and wastewater sector. CNL operates throughout Ireland and the UK.
In 2015, Paddy and Tom Coffey retired, handing over the ownership and management of Coffey to the next generation of the Coffey family who continues to develop the business based on a strategy of sustainable growth and always remaining true to Coffey Group’s values.
In 2020, Coffey acquired 100% ownership of CNL (Coffey Northumbrian Ltd) which was then re-branded as Coftec.
Coffey
Moanbaun,
Athenry,
Co. Galway,
H65 Y078.
Telephone: +353 91 844356
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.coffeygroup.com
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, August 2026, Vol 12 No 8
