MJ Conroy Construction is excited and honoured to be a finalist in two categories of the Irish Construction Excellence Awards – ‘Commercial or Industrial (under and up to €10 million) and Fitout or Refurbishment (up to €5 million) for the recent refurbishment and extension work it carried out at GCID PorterShed, Bowling Green, Galway.
Founded in 1993, the Irish Construction Excellence Awards (ICE 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. The PorterShed was a derelict warehouse in the centre of Galway which has been brought back to life as a tech hub that has already generated over 800 jobs since its inception, and is the second of two buildings that have been repurposed by the MJ Conroy team in the last two years.
Headquartered in Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo and with offices in Galway and Serbia, MJ Conroy Construction is a third-generation family business that has been trading for over 90 years. Patrick, Brendan and David Conroy are the directors of the company which specialises in industrial, pharmaceutical, ICT fitouts and refurbishments, and employs 30 people directly. A strong diversification and construction group with activities in the construction, property and agriculture industries, MJ Conroy’s success has been built on its ethos of collaboration and creation, and maintaining enduring relationships with national and international partners across its business network.
“We’re delighted with the two nominations which reflect well on everyone within our operation,” David Conroy says.
“We’re very pleased with the finished product and to have supported the creation of sustainable tech-based jobs in the heart of Galway City. The PorterShed is a great resource for Galway and we have just completed work on the second PorterShed project at the former Connacht Tribune building, which is next to the Bowling Green in Market Street.
“MJ Conroy is a medium-sized construction company with a proud reputation for quality workmanship, attention to detail, value-for-money and a commitment to working closely with clients on every project. Repeat business has been the key to our success down the years and we’re fortunate to have some wonderful clients across a range of sectors, including AbbVie, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Hewlett Packard, EA Games, Mazars and, of course, PorterShed.
“The company was set up 91 years ago by our grandfather Michael Conroy. He passed the business down to his sons George, Patrick and Brendan. Patrick and Brendan are still involved as directors along with the next generation which includes me and my brothers Cathal, Noel and Ronán as well as our cousins Brian and Sean. We employ a top-class team of 30 and many more skilled tradespeople on a subcontract basis.
“We also enjoy an excellent working relationship with our clients and our vetted, local suppliers who are key to sourcing materials for us. It’s a real team effort.”
The PorterShed is a tech hub which was founded in May 2016 by Galway Chamber of Commerce and is part of the Irish Tech Hub Network and NDRC (National Digital Research Centre). It is all about helping start-ups, and entrepreneurs collaborate with each other to achieve success and turn ideas into realities. It is a community that likes to innovate and explore new ideas, who all enjoy celebrating each other’s successes.
Valued at €1.36 million, the project was officiated at the ground breaking ceremony on July 23 2021 by the then Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and the building was officially opened by the then Minister of State for the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment Robert Troy on March 4 2022. The building is part of the expansion plans of the Galway City Innovation District (GCID). The project was funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland and the Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF). The PorterShed is backed by AIB and also supported by KPMG and SIRO / Vodafone.
The scope of works consisted of the repurposing of an existing two-storey, old warehouse in the Bowling Green in the heart of Galway, just off Shop Street, into a co-working office space along with an associated two-storey extension, demolition of existing concrete gateway, internal reconfiguration, alteration of elevations, roof replacement, installation of external plant and equipment, revised boundary treatments, hard and soft landscaping, cycle parking, signage and branding, connection to services and utilities, creation of pedestrian and cycle access to Market Street (through Market Street car park which is a protected structure), and all associated and ancillary works and development above and below ground level.
The warehouse was once a storage shed for the former Naughton’s houseware and furniture shop on Shop Street, and had been in a state of neglect for many years.
The logistics of the build were very challenging. As the contractors were extremely restricted by the footprint of the area, they had to use all of their experience, including careful and sequential planning and a just-in-time delivery. Furthermore, the build presented MJ Conroy with the challenge of its very close proximity to an active neighbourhood, busy pedestrian and vehicular traffic street, and a planning permission restriction on permitted construction working time.
The set-up and size of the very limited storage space available were allocated and planned carefully as part of the overall site layout plan. It was evident during this planning that the storage and deliveries had to be carefully planned to allow a safe working site. MJ Conroy therefore had to implement a just-in-time delivery process.
A detailed schedule of the entrance slots for the incoming trucks and deliveries was required and maintained and just-in-time deliveries were put in place to streamline construction delivery. Managing which products and building materials got delivered was vital. The just-in-time construction delivery method also ensured materials, products and equipment only came when needed, thus eliminating having excess inventory on site. As a result, operatives were not having to move / sort material which would have otherwise been an obstruction. This also resulted in it being easier to maintain a safe and tidy construction site.
Many times during the project, the programme had to be altered and revised due to unforeseen circumstances such as Covid-19 uncertainty (direct impact on labour, supply chains and supply of material) and design changes to the frame of the building mid-project (due to archaeological works and findings).
As a result, the programme had to be adjusted along with tasks being re-sequenced. This required a good working relationship with contractors, having all parties involved and updated. MJ Conroy had to reschedule deliveries and labour resources which was challenging particularly during Covid-19. The use of local contractors and sourcing material locally (or within the country) benefited the contractor greatly, avoiding potential supply chain issues.
The project was completed with zero accidents and zero incidents, which is something MJ Conroy is extremely proud of.
The feedback from all parties was positive. PorterShed CEO Mary Rodgers was full of praise for the main contractor, saying: “MJ Conroy were a pleasure to deal with, responsive and proactive, always presenting solutions when problems arose. Budgeting and delivery were in line with expectations and the entire site team were friendly, professional and efficient.
“For GCID, MJ Conroy became part of our team. It was a cohesive relationship where the contractor and us, the client, were working together all the time. MJ Conroy took pride in their work and had a close working relationship with all subcontractors, which made communications easy and effective. I couldn’t recommend them more!”
High praise indeed for a company which continues to go from strength to strength after over 90 years in business.
MJ Conroy Construction
Head Office
Industrial Estate,
Kilmaine Road,
Ballinrobe,
Co. Mayo.
Galway Office
Second Floor,
Queensgate,
Dock Rock,
Galway.
Telephone: +353 (94) 952 1600
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.mjconroy.com
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, June 2023, Vol 9 No 6
