Award-winning Mechanical Contractor Murphy and Kelly (Thomastown) Ltd’s client list reads like a who’s who of the Irish construction industry. Director Steven Kelly gave Building Ireland some insight as to why their services are very much in demand at this point in time.
On Monday November 25th, 2019 leading Cork-based Building & Civil Engineering Contractors MMD Construction were delighted to welcome an Tánaiste Simon Coveney and Denis Leamy, Chief Executive of the Cork ETB, to officially turn the sod on the Carrigaline Education Campus project. Also present were many dignitaries and a selection of parents, teachers, and future pupils who will benefit from the wonderful new campus.
The Carrigaline Education Campus is one of the largest ever school developments to be undertaken in Munster. The campus will be a new home for Gaelscoil and Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighin as well as a SONAS Junior Primary School on a campus that spans 21 acres at Ardnacloghy on the Ballinrea Road.
The project marked the first time that MMD Construction enlisted the mechanical services provided by Murphy and Kelly Ltd and it has proven to be the start of a mutually beneficial arrangement for both companies.
“It’s three schools on the one campus – a secondary school, a national school and a special needs school,” explained Steven Kelly. “We’re doing the mechanical services obviously on all of them – science labs, home economics room, dust extraction systems, all that kind of thing.
“We started on site in the middle of summer last year and we will be handing over this summer. The special needs building is complete, radiators are installed and heat is on, while the other buildings are progressing nicely.
“It’s a very prestigious project to be involved in from our company’s point of view and it’s our first time working with MMD. They’re a great builder to work for and we get on very well. Since starting that job, we’ve also gotten other projects with them. It’s a nice relationship we’ve started up and they seem to be happy with our work!”
A privately owned company in operation since 1985, Murphy and Kelly (Thomastown) Ltd specialise in the supply and installation of heating, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning, renewable energy, oil and gas systems. The company was established by Steven’s father, Denis, who, as Managing Director, oversees all projects to make sure they are completed efficiently and to the highest standard.
Steven is primarily responsible for Estimating, Purchasing and Quality Control while his cousin, Dean Kelly, who is also a Director, over sees the company’s Contracts ensuring all projects are handed over on time and to the standard expected. There are 47 employees on the company’s payroll and their current workload keeps everyone on their toes.
“We’re just starting into a 72-bed room extension in St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny for the HSE. It’s an extension on to the Phase 1A that we did back in 2015. We won the Mechanical Project of the Year at Ireland’s Heating & Plumbing Awards for that job. It’s nice to get back in there, it’s a five-storey building and there’s a quick turnaround with us due to hand over at the end of August.”
Steven continued: “We also have a couple of social housing projects for the Dublin City Council on the go. We’re just handing over 38 houses and 16 apartments in St Teresa’s Gardens, on behalf of Purcell Construction, while we’re midway through a redevelopment on Dominick Street, which entails 67 apartments, 5 town houses and a community centre, with Duggan Brothers.
“We have a number other school projects on the go also. We’re doing Maynooth Educate Together NS and a few other small bits.”
Murphy and Kelly’s portfolio of successfully completed projects also includes the new nursing home at Peamount Hospital which consists of a new two storey 100 bed facility. All of the bedrooms were kitted out with their own ensuite.
“We’re busy, working all over the country – we’re in Kilkenny, Carlow, Kildare, Dublin, just finished a job in Wicklow and we’re down in Cork obviously. We’re working nationwide at the minute.”
The Murphy and Kelly team pride themselves on being trustworthy and efficient with a very satisfied client base which, as already noted, includes some of the largest main contractors in the country. A partnership with Murphy and Kelly will give you piece of mind and a one point of contact for all your mechanical services requirements.
“Quality and customer satisfaction and that means getting the job over the line in time and making sure it’s done right,” Steven pointed out.
A key selling point for the company is that all work, from start to completion, is carried out in-house.
“For example, we manufacture all our own ducting here in Thomastown so that gives us an edge over the competition,” Steven highlighted. “That basically means that we’re not relying on other people. We install our own ducting too which a lot of other lads wouldn’t do, they get subbies in for that. We manufacture and install so it is all in-house and that gives us control over everything. We’re a one-stop shop.”
Murphy and Kelly Ltd has come a long way since Denis and his now retired partner Eamonn Murphy set the wheels in motion over 35 years ago. Covid-19 has presented challenges that needed to be confronted head on but Steven adopted an optimistic tone when the conversation turned to what the future may hold for the ever-burgeoning concern.
“Initially, we thought that some jobs might not go ahead because of Covid-19 but as it stands we’re as busy as we were. We did a lot of the quick Covid-19 turnaround centres for the HSE so we were lucky that way in that we were kept going and we have a good relationship with the HSE.
“As regards possible future expansion – it would have to be right for the company. There’s no point in expanding for the sake of expanding if it’s going to impact on other elements of the business that we are good at. There is no point in stretching ourselves too thin.
“Hopefully, when we get to the end of Covid-19 and these lockdowns, things will get back to normal. In fairness, the construction industry has handled it well. Constructions sites are well set up and, with good hygiene procedures in place, the builders have control over it,” Steven concluded.
Murphy & Kelly (Thomastown) Ltd.
The Fairgreen
Thomastown
County Kilkenny
Tel: 056 7724294
Fax: 056 7724644
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.murphyandkelly.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, June, Vol 7 No 6
