Established in January, 1996, Kieran Callaghan Electrical Ltd. is an exceptional, innovative, client-focussed electrical contractor, specialising in industrial, commercial and domestic installations. We visited their base in Stradone, County Cavan and caught up with the eponymous founder / managing director to find out more.
Over the past 20 years, Kieran Callaghan Electrical Ltd. has completed excellent electrical installation on a broad range of projects as well as providing professional electrical inspections, portable appliance testing and electrical maintenance services.
With the capacity to deliver the most sophisticated and complex projects (new builds, retro fits, repairs) safely, on-time and to budget, and with a personal touch guaranteed, Kieran Callaghan Electrical Ltd. offers a full design and installation service to exact client specification, covering every aspect of the electrical installations spectrum – lighting, cabling, data, etc.
Since the company’s formation, Kieran Callaghan Electrical Ltd. has built a strong reputation on the basis of quality workmanship, efficient time management and knowledgeable advice based on two decades of experience at the forefront and cutting edge of the electrical contracting industry.
This has seen them complete a host of prestigious OPW work (Virginia Garda Station, Cavan Social Welfare Office), Educational (Realt Na Mara 48-classroom national school in Drogheda, St Marys 26-bedroom national school in Edgeworthstown, Virginia College, Loreto College), Healthcare (Cavan Primary Care Centre, High Support Unit in Mullingar for the HSE, Oak View Nursing Home in Belturbet and other nursing homes, dental surgeries), Protected Structures, Churches, Commercial Buildings (Cavan Credit Union, Bradys Garage) and Sport Facilities (Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan Rugby Club), working for a Who’s Who of main contractors.
A complete electrical design and installation service is provided on every project. For example, at Cavan Primary Care Centre, work included two private doctors’ surgeries and the complete primary care unit. Kieran Callaghan Electrical carried out the complete electrical installation including cable management system, UPS system, socket outlets, power services, water heaters, boiler and main ventilation, central and local extract fans, wiring of Building Management System, lift services, general lighting, emergency lighting, staff / public emergency address system, induction loop hearing system, structured cabling system, intruder alarm installation, access control, fire alarm system and fire suppression system.
Reflecting on the genesis of the business, Kieran notes: “It was mostly residential at the start. Our breakthrough opportunity was working on houses in Cavan for McGarrell Reilly – that was our first project and, as it happens, they are back developing now and we’re working on three sites for them at the moment in Dundalk, Stepaside and Clonee.”
The fact that Kieran is still working for the first building developer he ever worked for speaks for itself. By delivering high-quality electrical solutions, he had managed to develop his business at a very impressive rate, currently providing employment to a highly-skilled crew of 35.
Residential installations currently account for approximately 20% of overall activity, the remainder being commercial. At the time of writing, Kieran was overseeing two landmark projects – Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar and a new secondary school in Tyrrelstown, Dublin.
“There were three phases at Mullingar Hospital – a temporary emergency unit, the refurbishment of the existing emergency department and the main entrance / concourse. We were responsible for all the electrical works and we’re currently on Phase Three, which is nearing completion. We were proud to undertake that project because it was high-end technology, with 46 electrical systems involved. We invest a lot into training our personnel and we had eight men working in Mullingar over an extended period of time. We’ve invested heavily in terms of foremen and contracts managers, who can run these major projects in a very professional and thorough manner.
“The new secondary school in Tyrrelstown is a 1,100-pupil school being built on a greenfield site for main contractor Glasgiven Contracts. We’re doing the complete electrical fit-out and it’s high-pressure work as the school is a rapid-build project which will open in September. We’re installing a KNX lighting control system there, which we can do as we have our own KNX-approved and –certified installers in-house.”
Ongoing projects include an extension on a nursing home in Drumcondra, Dublin, a new school in Mullagh, County Cavan and high-end office fit-outs at Irish Water’s regional office in Mullingar (for Glenman) and Silverhill Duck Farm’s new office block in Monaghan (for Midland Construction).
Kieran Callaghan Electrical Ltd. have developed their own in-house training manual on each system. “When the recession hit, we went into training mode on how to deal with all of these systems,” the founder notes. “Having that overview of every system is good for us, for the end user and for the client, eliminating potential problems after the work has been carried out.”
Moving with the times and keeping abreast of all technological advancements is critical in electrical contracting and Kieran Callaghan has certainly not been found wanting in this regard. “I’ve put a lot of work into staying ahead of things,” he attests. “At the moment, looking to the future, we are looking at sourcing and installing state-of-the-art systems where the end user will be able to control everything in their home – lights, curtains, blinds, doors, heating, music systems etc. – from their smartphone. This is the same system that we are currently installing in the secondary school in Tyrrelstown, only more tailored towards the domestic market. There’s no point burying your head in the sand. The technology is here and this is happening and we are ready for it. We can put that system in place and program it. We have nothing across the line with that yet but it is happening.
“We can give our clients and the end user advice and guidelines on what’s out there and what’s best for their particular needs,” the affable Cavan man concludes. “We work as part of a team on every project. We are thriving and always striving to achieve greater things. We’re not going to become complacent or take anything for granted. Hard work and dedication have got us to where we are today and that’s the way this business will be continuing.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the customers we have worked for over the years and also to thanks my loyal staff, who put in a brilliant team effort and are always willing to learn and develop the business.”
Kieran Callaghan Electrical Ltd.
Ardadagh,
Stradone,
County Cavan.
Tel: 049 4330111
Mobile: 086 2608971
E: [email protected]
www.callaghanelectrical.ie
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, August 2016, Vol 2 No 4
