Kilcoran Homes Ltd is an established construction company building high-end new houses and commercial developments in Kildare, Meath and Dublin.
Their ethos is simple: build well.
It’s an ethos driven from the top of the company, embodied by the founder Paul Ryan. Originally from Co. Laois, Paul’s passion for construction started at an early age. Growing up on the family farm, Paul’s predisposition to working hard and working with his hands meant school just didn’t suit. Not one to sit still, he would constantly approach local farmers and businessmen for work, eager to take on anything given the chance. This led him to his first taste of construction and eventually, to undertaking an apprenticeship in brick and block laying. From there, the sky was the limit.
Paul has worked on construction sites and led building crews across Ireland, Australia and Wales. It was working in a residential housing boom in Australia that piqued his interest in one-off houses. He worked to understand all aspects of the build and quickly established his name as a reliable and hard-working tradesman. But feeling the pull of home, Paul and his Australian wife moved to Ireland and set up shop in Donadea, Co. Kildare in 2016.
Since then, Kilcoran Homes has completed an impressive range of new builds, extensions, renovations and commercial projects across Ireland but concentrated in the Kildare, Dublin and Meath regions. Over 80% of Kilcoran Homes’ business comes from word-of-mouth referrals from happy clients. Testament to this, Kilcoran Homes’ first one-off build was in Kilcloon, Co. Meath. Impressed by the speed and quality of the build, Paul was inundated with people calling past to ask him to price their job. Six years later, and Kilcoran Homes is still building in Kilcloon – one of their current projects is a one-off residential build there. This project, like many others, is again a referral from other projects Kilcoran Homes have completed in the area.
Outstanding workmanship, attention to detail, and a commitment to working closely with clients to deliver total satisfaction are the hallmarks of Kilcoran Homes. From concept to completion, Paul and his team of top-class tradesmen are with you every step of the way, ensuring that your new project is designed and built to your specific needs, and that there are no hidden or extra costs involved.
“Regardless of project size or type, our approach remains the same: we treat our clients as partners, delivering a headache-free solution that meets the requirements of each unique project,” Paul says.
While their approach to quality hasn’t wavered, Paul says he’s seen a lot of change in the Irish construction industry in the last few years. Responding to demand, Kilcoran Homes have been taking on more projects for overseas investors and more commercial development. Most recently, they converted a derelict house into six high-end residential apartments, meeting the strong demand for rental property in the area and returning a strong yield on investment.
Paul says he’s seen an increase in demand for a trusted local builder for overseas clients carrying out residential and commercial projects in Ireland. Kilcoran Homes’ headache-free and proactive approach to building has made them an excellent partner for clients who aren’t on the ground for the day-to-day decisions involved in a building project.
What about changes to the residential one-off building? Paul says the biggest change in recent times has been the challenge of rapid material price increases and shortages of labour. The cost of building materials has sky-rocketed since the start of the pandemic and this is being acutely felt in the new build sector. Paul says they do everything they can to avoid passing on the price increases to their customers, many of whom have obtained financing based on the original budget and who don’t have scope to increase that budget part-way through a build.
Strong supplier relationships have been key to achieving this, Paul says. “We’ve been using many of the same suppliers since 2013, and have great relationships with them. They keep us abreast of upcoming changes to pricing and it helps us pre-order stock at lower prices where we can. Thankfully, traditional block houses – which is what we specialise in – haven’t been as badly affected by price increases as timber frame homes.
“We’re always assured of the best value-for-money from our suppliers who include McCarthy’s in Prosperous (TJ O’Mahony Plus), Blue Bangor Slate Company in Straffan, Clane Providers, Hanlon Concrete, Gleeson Concrete, Painstown Precast, Midland Hardware and U Value Insulation.”
Thankfully, Kilcoran Homes have been able to largely weather the shortages to construction labour in the past year as well. Kilcoran Homes have worked with the same tried and trusted group of trades since its inception.
Paul would like to take this opportunity to thank his clients, suppliers, sub-contractors and design teams for their continued support: “Here’s to many more years of building together”.
Kilcoran Homes Ltd
Donadea,
Co. Kildare.
Telephone: 089 4204541
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, May 2022, Vol 8 No 5
