Celebrating 10 years in business, Ian O’Donoghue Builders Ltd in Salthill, Galway is a highly-regarded construction company specialising in home refurbishments, extensions and one-off new builds.
A member of the CIF and CIRI, the company was formed by Ian O’Donoghue after he returned to Ireland from San Francisco where he ran O’Donoghue Construction for 15 years. Since returning, he has built the same reputation here as he had in the US for quality building and unrivalled customer service. Also specialising in commercial projects, home renovations in and around the beautiful seaside resort of Salthill and Galway city account for the bulk of Ian’s business.
“My first project after returning home and setting up this company was an extension and refurb of a semi-detached house in Salthill. It turned out very well and the business grew from there,” he explains.
“We currently partner with several architects and project managers including Eoin Gleeson, of Eoin Gleeson & Associates.
“While most of our work is remodels of three-bed semi-detached houses in Galway city, we’ve also built one-offs on existing sites in Salthill and Barna. The new houses we build are typically between 2,500 sq. ft. and 3,000 sq. ft. We pride ourselves on our consistent and timely delivery of projects to our clients.”
Superior workmanship, attention to detail, value-for-money and a commitment to working closely with clients to deliver total satisfaction are the hallmarks of Ian O’Donoghue Builders. Health & Safety is at the core of the business, and never more so than in this Covid-19 age. From concept to completion, Ian 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. All of their work complies with the highest industry regulations.
Whether your next project is a renovation, extension or new build, Ian O’Donoghue Builders’ one-stop-shop approach will ensure that both the design and building processes are smooth, comfortable and hassle-free. The Salthill contractor’s reputation for quality construction and ability to complete projects on time and within the agreed budget is borne out by the high volume of repeat business and referrals it receives from architects and satisfied customers.
Committed to making your dream home a reality, the company enjoys an excellent working relationship with sub-contractors and suppliers alike.
“We employ five people directly who are a mix of carpenters, roofers and groundworks personnel. I have been very lucky that I have the same team working with me since I came home, and they are all excellent tradesmen who value quality the same way I do. Every other part of the build, including the electrical, plumbing, plastering, block laying, tiling, and painting, is sub-contracted to the same tried and trusted tradesmen,” says Ian, who is a carpenter by trade.
“I cannot praise our subbies enough. They look after me and I look after them. We don’t chop or change them, even when it costs more. James Martin Plumbing, H&M Electrical, Cox Painting and Ollie Hession Plastering are with us on nearly every job. Our main suppliers are T O’Higgins Homevalue and Brooks Timber & Building Supplies.
“By employing highly-skilled people, working closely with our architects and using only the very best building products, we’re able to deliver the highest quality construction to our clients.”
Since his time in San Francisco, Ian has specialised in timber frame construction. He sees this method along with ICF (Insulated Concrete Formwork) and SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) as the future of construction in Ireland.
“Timber frame, ICF and SIPs have to be the future because we won’t have the workforce in a few years’ time to build the traditional concrete block homes. There’s a huge scarcity of young block layers and plasterers at the moment and I can’t see that changing any time soon,” he continues.
“The other methods I’ve mentioned are faster and easier to build, are more energy efficient, environmentally-friendly and offer superior quality and comfort. I recently did a course in ICF which is a modern construction method that’s growing all the time. I’d also be a big advocate of exterior insulation as an alternative to drylining. I think many Irish people are starting to see that there’s an alternative to bricks and mortar, and that it isn’t any more expensive.”
Ian is currently carrying out five refurbishment projects in Manor Drive, Glenard Crescent, Whitestrand Park (x2) and Devon Park in Salthill. His biggest project to date involved building eight apartments in two blocks at Quincentennial Drive in Galway.
“That kept me busy for two years. There were two apartments in the first block and six in the second. I invested in a 30-metre rotator teleporter because we were working in such a tight space,” he recalls.
The cost of building materials has sky-rocketed during the pandemic and this is being acutely felt in the new build sector.
“It’s a huge issue, but my advice to people embarking on a building project, whether it is a new build, or a renovation is to invest in the things which cannot be upgraded easily later like the insulation, mechanical and electrical infrastructure. These are not the things to cut corners on. Décor can be improved and changed over time, these cannot.”
Dedicated to quality construction, Ian would like to take this opportunity to thank his customers, suppliers, sub-contractors and architects for their continued support.
Here’s to the next 10 years!
Ian O’Donoghue Builders Ltd
9 Glenard Avenue,
Salthill,
Galway,
Co. Galway.
Telephone: 083 4433933
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, April 2022, Vol 8 No 4
