As the Irish construction sector gathers to celebrate innovation, delivery and best-in-class engineering, Wills Bros Ltd enters this year’s Irish Construction Excellence (ICE) Awards with a strong portfolio of nominations that reflect both the company’s legacy and its forward-looking ambition.
Shortlisted across three categories, the firm’s presence at the awards signals not only project success, but a broader story of growth, diversification and technical excellence across Ireland and the UK.
At the heart of Wills Bros Ltd’s nominations is the N69 Listowel Bypass — a transformative infrastructure project that has reshaped connectivity in North Kerry while exemplifying the company’s ability to deliver large-scale works to the highest standards.
The project, nominated in the Civil Engineering over €50 million category, stands as a flagship achievement for the company. Delivered for Kerry County Council with a value of approximately €62 million, it comprises 7 kilometres of single carriageway, upgrades to existing roads and enhanced pedestrian and cycling infrastructure along John B. Keane Road.
“It was a seven-kilometre bypass with upgrades,” explained Construction Director Michael Carroll, who has been with the company since 1995. “There were three new roundabouts put on it, 19 structures and the big one was probably the River Feale Bridge.”
That big structure — the 115-metre, two-span steel bridge crossing the River Feale — has become a defining feature of the project, both visually and technically. Its delivery required precision engineering and coordination, reinforcing the company’s capability in complex structural works. The bypass itself was conceived to address longstanding congestion issues in Listowel.
“The project initially came about because of the congestion that was in Listowel and, basically, they came up with a preferred route,” Carroll noted.
From its inception in early 2022 through to completion in 2024, the project demonstrated what Carroll describes as “construction excellence to the highest quality standards.”
Delivered on time and within budget, it has significantly reduced traffic through the town centre, improved safety and enhanced overall journey efficiency for road users. Beyond transport benefits, the project also prioritised sustainability, with environmental protections embedded throughout delivery. These included wetlands, attenuation ponds and the safeguarding of designated ecological areas, alongside the extensive reuse of excavated and pavement materials, reducing waste and transport emissions.
The result is a project that not only meets immediate transport needs but also contributes long-term economic and social value to the region. It also anchors Wills Bros Ltd’s presence at the awards, showcasing the company’s ability to execute complex infrastructure projects that deliver meaningful impact for communities.
Alongside this, the company’s nomination in the Civil Engineering €10 million–€20 million category highlights its growing footprint in renewable energy. The Timahoe North Solar Farm in County Kildare represents a significant milestone — Wills Bros Ltd’s first major venture into large-scale solar infrastructure.
Developed as a joint venture between ESB and Bord na Móna, the project has an installed capacity of 108 MWp, enough to power approximately 25,000 homes and contribute to Ireland’s decarbonisation targets.
Constructed on challenging cutaway peatland, the project demanded innovative thinking from the outset. Wills Bros Ltd delivered approximately 11 kilometres of floating roadways and installed over 62,500 piles to stabilise the solar arrays. The scale and complexity of these works underline the company’s ability to adapt its engineering expertise to new and evolving sectors, reinforcing its credentials beyond traditional civil engineering.
In the Commercial category, the Jamestown Bus Depot project in North Dublin further demonstrates the breadth of the company’s capabilities.
Unlike linear infrastructure schemes, this development required a multidisciplinary approach combining civil engineering, mechanical and electrical works, and specialist fit-out, all within a live urban environment. Managing such complexity required careful sequencing, close collaboration with stakeholders and innovative problem-solving. The completed facility provides a high-quality, functional and visually cohesive bus depot that meets environmental requirements while supporting improved public transport services.
Together, these three nominations paint a picture of a company operating across multiple sectors, delivering projects that range from major national infrastructure to renewable energy and urban developments. This diversity is reflected in Wills Bros Ltd’s current workload, which spans Ireland and the United Kingdom. The company is actively engaged in major national and regional road schemes, urban transport and public realm projects, marine and port infrastructure works, and renewable energy developments, including solar and battery storage.
“Business at the moment is excellent,” said Carroll. “I’m involved in the Munster region, but there’s a lot of other stuff going on in the Leinster region where we’re working in the Port Dublin and we’re also on Dublin Airport where we have two large contracts. We have a lot of other projects on-going as well and Roscommon N5 is running as well, which is one of the bigger ones.”
In Munster, Wills Bros Ltd continues to deliver key infrastructure projects, including the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road in Limerick and the R498 Latteragh realignment project in Tipperary. The company is also completing works on the Celtic Interconnector in Cork, having undertaken the main civil engineering components of the project.
Supporting this extensive project portfolio is a workforce of 656 employees across Ireland and the UK, including 474 in Ireland and 182 in Britain. This experienced, multidisciplinary team enables the company to deliver complex, high-value infrastructure projects while maintaining consistent standards of safety, quality and environmental performance.
Carroll’s own long tenure with the company reflects a broader culture of continuity and experience.
Despite its scale and reach, Wills Bros Ltd retains its identity as a family-orientated business — a characteristic that Carroll believes continues to shape its success.
“It’s a family-orientated company,” he said. “It was founded by James and Charles Wills and the two of them are the main reason that it has been successful. Aidan Mc Caul (Contracts Director) joined the company in the early nineties and together with Charles and James they moved the company forward.”
Today, the next generation is actively involved in leading the business, with Trevor, Tim and Jonathan Wills overseeing key areas across legal, Irish and UK operations.
This continuity of leadership has helped maintain a strong company ethos centred on quality, reliability and long-term relationships.
“They like to do a good job, do it on time and move on,” Carroll explained. “We’ve various clients, not just in the public realm but in the private sector as well, and I think that’s been a big plus to the company because we’ve developed a lot of relationships with a lot of clients and it means repetitive work.”
As the Irish Construction Excellence Awards approach, Wills Bros Ltd’s nominations represent more than individual project successes. They reflect a company that has built a reputation for delivering complex infrastructure while continuously evolving to meet new challenges in sustainability, energy and urban development.
The N69 Listowel Bypass, in particular, stands as a benchmark project — one that combines technical achievement, environmental responsibility and lasting community benefit — reinforcing the company’s position at the forefront of the construction industry in Ireland.
Wills Bros Ltd.,
Ballylahan Bridge,
Foxford,
Co Mayo,
F26NP92.
Tel: 094 9256221
Fax: 094 9257221
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.willsbros.com
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, July 2026, Vol 12 No 7
