Based outside of Newtownforbes, Co Longford, Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd provides its clients all over Ireland with a professional building service. Building Ireland touched based with the Project Co-Ordinator Fiona Finnegan to learn more about some of the projects the company has on-going at the moment.
Business has been good as of late at Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd and the plan for brothers Martin and Michael Mulleady is to keep things that way right through to next year.
Originally set-up by their late brother Fergal in 2004, Martin and Michael Mulleady took over the running of the business four years later and it has since carried out numerous housing development projects, private bespoke homes and retro-fit projects.
Today, the company employs 16 full-time staff from its base in Leitrim, Newtownforbes, Co Longford, including its Project Co-Ordinator Fiona Finnegan.
Building Ireland spoke with Fiona recently to hear about the state of business at the moment for Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd and its hopes going forward in 2022.
“The past 12 months have been challenging with the cost of materials going through the roof and availability of both materials and labour in short supply. We managed to work through most of the pandemic.” outlined Fiona, who joined the company three years ago.
“Part of the reason for that is that we’ve been working on social housing projects, which were deemed “essential”, so work hasn’t stopped for us since the first lock-down of March 2020.
“We had seven weeks off then, were back up and running in May and it’s been very busy ever since.”
Naturally, busy times at Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd mean busy times for Fiona as her role as Project Co-Ordinator entails co-ordinating Health & Safety on site first and foremost, setting up the site when the team goes on site first along with co-ordinating the smooth running of each project to ensure it comes in on target and on budget.
The Covid-19 pandemic, and the government restrictions which followed, meant sites had to be thoroughly in compliance once they reopened across the country in May 2020 and Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd’s Project Co-Ordinator has always strived to do so on her end.
“Each sub-contractor had to be phased in one at a time with the restrictions but, even now, the habits they’ve learned from Covid has stuck with them,” Fiona explained.
“Lots and lots of paperwork goes with Health & Safety on site but, overall, we’ve kept up to date with it.”
The company has a highly skilled team of Sub-contractors who have been involved in Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd projects for years and travel to various sites all over the country.
As for some of the projects Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd currently has going on at the moment, Fiona was able to provide us with details.
“One of the projects we’re currently working on is a 31-unit development in Lakepoint, Mullingar for Westmeath County Council,” she outlined.
“It’s a social housing project that started for us in July and we hope to have work fully completed by September 2022.
“We’re progressing well and despite all the challenges with Labour and materials at the moment, we’ve managed to more or less keep on target with it.”
The company is working on another project in Baylough, Athlone for Westmeath County Council which consists of a 19-unit housing development of terraced houses due for completion later this year.
This comes after Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd built 21 houses in Campbell’s Lane and also constructed 69 homes at Farnagh Hill in Longford Town.
The work keeps coming too, as the company’s Project Co-Ordinator explained:
“We just started a job in Trim, Co Meath which is a 43-house development for Meath County Council along with a small 6 house development in Delvin.
“Last year (2021) we completed work on a 50 unit development in Drogheda for Louth County Council.”
Busy times indeed.
So, what has been the secret to the company’s continued success down through the years?
Fiona feels that it’s a business which is very much tried and trusted over the past decade-and-a-half or so.
“We have a few projects of a similar nature under our belts when it comes to the ones we’re doing at the moment,” she said.
“So, clients know what they’re getting with us when it comes to their project and we’ve built up a good working relationship with many of them over the years.”
As for plans to add to the team at Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd, Fiona points out that the biggest challenge right now is finding the right people that will carry our projects forward.
“We’re always on the lookout for new recruits who would fit into our “family”,” said the Project Co-Ordinator.
Looking towards the months ahead, Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd will be keen for more of the same while, as always, also keeping one eye on the future.
“In 2022, we want to keep doing what we’re doing, keep trying new materials and new technologies and continue to build energy efficient homes.
“So, keep doing what we’re doing and maybe progress into different areas as well down the line.
“There’s a great sense of optimism in the company and we’re already looking at jobs for the latter end of the year. That’s the way it is and they’re always one step ahead and planning for the future here,” Fiona concluded.
Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd
Leitrim,
Newtownforbes,
Co Longford.
Mobile: 086 039 7788
Email: [email protected]
Web: mulleadyproperties.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, May 2022, Vol 8 No 5
