Avondale Projects provide building services for residential and commercial businesses in Kerry, Cork and Limerick. Building Ireland caught up with its Managing Director Noel Leahy recently to learn all about the Killarney-based business.
Business is good right now at Avondale Projects and the plan for its owner and founder Noel Leahy is to keep things that way right through to 2021.
The company became Limited in 2014 and is today specialising in New Builds, Roofing, Renovations, Extensions, Attic Conversions and first and second fixing.
Coming from a carpentry background, Noel took the decision himself to go out on his own back in 2007 and since that time hasn’t looked back.
Building Ireland spoke with the Co Kerry native and got the lowdown on what Avondale Projects is all about.
“We’re based in Avondale House, Rockfield, Tralee Road, Killarney, Co Kerry and the company itself Limited six years now,” said Noel.
“We’ve five full-time staff and focus a lot on new builds and renovations all around the Killarney area. It’s all Killarney based work, so we don’t have to go too far from home with our projects.”
One local project which Avondale Projects has been immersed in for some time now is the Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney.
In fact, Noel and his team have been working on renovations at the popular hotel for the best part of four years now.
The Cahernane House Hotel was constructed in 1887 and is situated on a private estate on the edge of Killarney National Park.
Its renovation programme cost €6million and saw the Avondale Projects team working alongside Prem Group on the hotel’s extensive refurbishment.
Specialising in refurbishment and extension projects for both the residential and commercial sector, Avondale Projects also has a wealth of experience when it comes to working on historical and listed buildings.
Noel himself has 20 years’ experience in the industry and has worked on numerous of different projects all over Kerry, including Kenmare Adult Education Centre, the West End House, the Black Sheep Hostel and up on 50 one-off new builds.
Alongside the Prem Group, the initial works for Avondale Projects on Cahernane House Hotel saw them repairing the hotel’s roof to the main house and also restoring the original slate and re-leading the valleys.
“During the first phase, my team undertook the restoration of the original timber sash windows, restoring them fully, thus preserving the integrity of this historic old house,” Noel outlined.
“This phase of the renovations saw the Herbert Restaurant tastefully redecorated, the bedrooms and attic in the main house fully renovated and brought up to current legislative specifications.
“It is great to see Cahernane House Hotel being brought back to its former glory, as a lot of Killarney people have links to the house, including my wife, Simone.
“Her great grandfather was a grounds man and gatekeeper, and her great grandmother was a housekeeper, so it is a very special place.”
Indeed the Cahernane House Hotel was one of many unique projects taken on and successfully completed by Avondale Projects.
Next up is another project in the town of Killarney as business continues to boom since the government lifted lockdown restrictions for construction companies on May 18th.
“We’re very busy at the moment. We’ll be starting an extension on the Killarney Fire Station in August,” said Noel.
“This year has been busy so far even with the lockdown. Covid-19 just shut everything down over night but luckily we had started an extension to a school and we’re back at it now in full flow.
“We’re doing a self-build at the moment and we’re actually using clay block on it. Clayblock Ireland is the product we’re using on that project which is situated in Killarney as well.”
Immersed in the industry two decades now, what does Noel Leahy see as being the key ingredient to success in this game?
Since ‘Day One’ at Avondale Projects, he has always placed an emphasis on quality of work, along with competitive pricing for projects, and it’s an ethos which looks to have paid off half a dozen years later.
“I think it’s down to the quality of work that we do and the consistent rates that we give our clients,” said the MD.
“I stand over the work that I do and have a good relationship with all of the clients we work with here.”
Always striving to be the best, ensuring attention to detail and a goal of delivering a top quality finish, Avondale Projects prides itself on going the extra mile and completing contracts to schedule for its clients.
Looking towards the months ahead, Noel is keen for more of the same with regards to his company’s workload since mid-May and the lifting of government restrictions.
“We just hope that things can keep going the way they are going at the moment and just see how we get on next year,” he concluded.
Avondale Projects
Avondale House,
Rockfield,
Tralee Road,
Killarney,
Co Kerry
Mobile: 087 284 8944
E-mail: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, January 2021, Vol 7 No 1
