Operating a modern and highly flexible fleet of 48 cranes, Gabriel O’Brien Crane Hire Ltd are firmly established as Ireland’s premier heavy logistics engineers. Building Ireland spoke with director Conor O’Brien to get an update on this innovative, industry-leading, family-run business.
Founded in 1989, Gabriel O’Brien Crane Hire is one of Ireland’s largest and longest established crane hire companies. With a knowledge of heavy lifting operations that spans across the generations, it successfully combines the expertise of modern engineering with the wealth of experience built up over the decades.
Leitrim native Gabriel O’Brien started the business with one 15 tonne mobile crane. Today, Gabriel proudly runs the company alongside his sons, Conor and Darragh, both qualified civil engineers. They operate a carefully assembled and immaculately maintained fleet of 48 cranes. Comprising mobile cranes, crawler cranes, Hiabs, spider cranes, mobile towers (suitable for lifts in confined urban sites) together with Ireland’s first self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) – a significant piece of equipment in providing lifting solutions – the entire fleet of cranes is regularly replenished, upgraded, and kept in pristine working condition.
Well established solution providers to the construction sector, Gabriel O’Brien Crane Hire offer machinery, full lift and shift solutions, and personnel to a variety of industries throughout Ireland and the UK. Their range of cranes goes from 3.5 tonne spider cranes that can work in the tightest of spaces up to 800 tonne mobile and 11350 tonne crawler cranes. These are used in a wide variety of onshore and offshore industries, including most notably the construction, oil, and wind energy sectors.
In construction, Gabriel O’Brien Crane Hire have maintained long-standing relationships with a range of significant main contractors such as Exyte, BAM, SISK, Collen Construction, Mercury Engineering, Walls Construction, Cairn Homes as well as SIAC, Irish Rail and Cosgrave Group. Ongoing repeat business with leading companies in construction in Ireland and the UK is testament to the quality of both the machinery and lift solutions provided by Gabriel O’ Brien Crane Hire.
From the very onset, Gabriel O’Brien had a mission to provide the best quality lifting service to each customer regardless of job size. Each customer is valued, and pride is taken in providing the best quality service – ‘anyplace, anywhere, anytime’. This mission informs the company approach to each and every lift job. Well known across construction sites in Ireland for his hard work, knowledge and competence, his experience in the construction industry has contributed significantly to the large customer base of Gabriel O’Brien Crane Hire.
In total, including on-site operatives, engineers, project managers, riggers, service technicians and office-based personnel, Gabriel O’Brien Crane Hire currently generates direct employment for a team of 75. With Health & Safety an absolute priority, the company also employs a full-time safety officer.
Gabriel O’Brien Crane Hire are available on a 24/7 basis and offer a comprehensive service, from free site inspection through to the execution of a lift, including detailed pre-planning, fully qualified operatives, and unrivalled attention to detail.
Significant engineering expertise is evident throughout the process of each lift. Upon completion of a site inspection, a plan is put in place to carry out the lift both safely and efficiently. This plan includes a RAMS (Risk Assessment Method Statement), 3D CAD drawings (using the most modern engineering expertise to work around wind resistance, underfoot conditions and any other factors which may influence the lift) and the allocation of qualified personnel to carry out even the most demanding, complex lifts. All staff are certified in both Ireland and the UK, as well as being fully equipped for manual handling and working at heights.
Gabriel O’Brien Crane Hire are currently involved in a number of major civil projects across Ireland, including the new A6 SWS dual carriageway between Dungiven and Drumahoe, Intel in Leixlip and SGRE (Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy) turbine repairs at the Mount Lucas and Bruckana Wind Farms. Another significant recent job was the N22 Macroom Bypass.
As for the key to the company’s continued success and growth in a challenging marketplace, Conor O’Brien notes: “Having a good range of cranes is vital. We have new cranes in our fleet with a good selection going from the spider crane up to an 800 tonne mobile crane and a 11350 crawler crane. We own the biggest crawler crane in the country and can cover all our customers’ requirements. As we hold an international heavy haulage licence, we can provide a complete, hassle-free solution.
“We have modular trailers and SPMTs and are the only ones in the country who are doing that. Anything that is heavy and needs to be shifted on site, we can look after it. We provide our clients with very detailed technical solutions, from site inspection and planning right through to executing the lift in a safe and fully secure environment.”
Due to Gabriel O’Brien Crane Hire’s detailed planning and proven track record, they have been entrusted with some of the most challenging projects across Ireland and the UK. Their impeccable safety record reflects their keen attention to detail in both the preparation and carrying out of all lifts.
Securing the company’s position as Ireland’s heavy lift solutions provider of choice requires significant investment in machinery, technology, and personnel. “We always have the most innovative products on the market – like the newest crawler cranes and SPMTs – and have an excellent engineering department,” Conor continues.
“We have proven ourselves time and time again at heavy lifts, from the Tower at Dublin Airport to pulling bridges for Irish Rail. For any complex heavy lift job, we can investigate it and devise a plan that will work. For this, you need good people as well as good equipment and we’re very lucky to have a great team working here.”
Gabriel O’ Brien Crane Hire will continue to strive for excellence into the future and build on a solid, dependable reputation for providing safe, effective lifting solutions.
G O’Brien Crane Hire Ltd
Unit 6,
Red Cow Business Park,
Naas Road,
Dublin 22,
D22 TX28
Tel: 01 4595500
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.gobriencranes.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, October, Vol 7 No 10
