Based in Newry, Co. Down, Felix O’Hare & Co Ltd is one of Ireland’s longest-established and most progressive construction firms.
The company’s longevity and experience has enabled it to successfully deliver many iconic projects over the years, including St Dominic’s Grammar School, St Mary’s Convent and Queen’s University Great Hall and Main Site School of Law in Belfast, Dublin City University Nano Bio-Analytical Research Building, Merchant House, Belfast, Daisyhill Hospital in Newry and SRC Armagh.
The company was established in 1944 by Felix O’Hare, but its origins go back over 100 years when it traded as FG O’Hare Builders. Its roots are still very much set in Newry with a modern, purpose-built head office and workshop located off Chancellor’s Lane to the south of the city, which allows for easy access to the whole of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Fronted by Gerry Gray and Damian Gill, Felix O’Hare & Co directly employs a 120-strong dynamic and diverse workforce which represents the driving force behind its success. This is underpinned by a strong financial base with extensive technical resources available which allows the company to execute multiple projects simultaneously.
Providing pre-construction, construction, design and build, fitout, maintenance and BIM services to the education, leisure, healthcare, commercial and retail, industrial, transport, conservation and private housing sectors, the main contractor’s philosophy is based upon sound management principles with an emphasis on traditional craft skills.
This is demonstrated through Felix O’Hare & Co’s in-house joinery workshop, a resource that sets it apart from many competitors and which enables it to provide both traditional and state-of-the-art bespoke specialist joinery to many construction projects, particularly conservation, repair and replication of historic timber framing and detailing.
The company’s commitment to customer satisfaction is achieved through open communication, exceptional quality and an ever-watchful eye on final cost. Its record of repeat business reflects this and its philosophy that “the project is never complete until the client is completely satisfied”.
At Felix O’Hare & Co, they approach every project with honesty, integrity and commitment. They establish and maintain strong collaborative relationships with their clients, architects and engineers, suppliers, sub-contractors and end-users, resulting in strong and efficient working relationships. The company also encourages a culture of excellence in its quality procedures and works with its design teams to develop innovative and sustainable designs. Health & Safety is Felix O’Hare & Co’s number one priority, and never more so than in this COVID age. The Co. Down contractor believes that every injury is preventable and embeds that philosophy into every project through its procedures and ongoing training programmes.
The company’s dedication to quality, the environment and Health & Safety is reflected in its ISO 9001 Quality Management, ISO 14001 Environment Management and ISO 45001 Health & Safety Management accreditations.
Adopting a policy of ‘Right First Time’ to all projects, Felix O’Hare & Co delivers high quality, cost-effective solutions on time, the first time. All projects are delivered within a safe, considerate working environment and are subject to ‘hands on’ director involvement.
Pre-construction, construction, design and build, fitout, maintenance and BIM are the main services provided. During pre-construction, the project is fully programmed from all aspects of budgeting and pricing to schedule and project execution. Felix O’Hare & Co will offer guidance on selection of materials, building systems, equipment and methods of project delivery as well as the cost of alternative designs or materials.
When it comes to construction, the company has the capability and financial strength to provide clients with the high quality, proactive service they require. The Newry firm has experience of various types of contracts, from a partnering framework arrangement to traditional construction management. It is also experienced in using various procurement methods and boasts a vast and diverse portfolio of successful projects covering most market sectors.
Felix O’Hare & Co is at the forefront of many contract lead construction projects in Ireland and has an enviable and established reputation for collaborating successfully with multi-disciplined design teams. The company also specialises in fitout projects for the commercial office, retail, education and healthcare sectors with the quality of its work renowned for its attention to detail.
Furthermore, Felix O’Hare & Co is the largest reactive and planned maintenance company in the Co. Down and Co. Armagh regions, with an extensive portfolio of public and private sector clients. Its maintenance programmes are supported by a dedicated customer call centre which provides a 24/7 call out service for reactive and maintenance operations.
In addition, the company is fully committed to the deployment of BIM (Building Information Modelling). On projects where BIM is implemented, it works closely with the entire team to ensure that the benefits are achieved and the lessons learned are used to drive improvement across the whole company.
As an essential service, Felix O’Hare & Co remained operational during the different lockdowns of the past year with much of the focus being on the health and educational sectors. It is currently constructing a new breast cancer unit at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and is currently in the final stage of completion of a new school building for St Paul’s Primary School in Navan.
The contractor also recently completed a £25 million refurbishment of Merchant House in Belfast for Oakland Ltd which has been handed over to new tenants PwC, and is currently working on two new builds at Queen’s University Belfast and Phase 2 of AIB’s new offices located on Belfast’s Ann Street. The latter is an ongoing project valued at around £9 million.
“The essential work has kept us busy during the pandemic,” Felix O’Hare & Co contracts manager Gerard Brooks explains.
“We’ve been working on projects in Craigavon and Antrim Hospitals and recently renewed our maintenance contract with Southern Health & Social Care Trust, which runs Craigavon Hospital, Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, Lurgan Hospital and South Tyrone Hospital as well as Armagh Community Hospital and St Luke’s Hospital in Armagh.
“With the Merchant House project, we undertook extensive demolitions to three existing buildings, stitched them together, increased each of the floor plates and added two floors to the existing seven-storey building, including an entire new envelope and CAT A fitout. The building can now cater for 3,000 office staff.
He continues: “Our largest current project in the South is a €14 million Monaghan Community Centre development for Monaghan County Council. The project has been delayed by COVID and we now hope to complete it by September 2022. We’ve worked on several projects in the Louth area in recent years, including an IDA Business Park and school builds in Ardee and Drogheda.
“Things are starting to move again as the restrictions ease and we’re looking to the future with renewed optimism.”
Here’s to the next 100 years of this exceptional building contractor!
Felix O’Hare & Co Ltd
88 Chancellor’s Road,
Newry,
BT35 8NG,
Co. Down.
Telephone: 028 30261134
Fax: 028 30261397
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.felixohare.co.uk
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, August, Vol 7 No 8
