A member of the National Guild of Master Craftsmen synonymous with the consistent delivery of industry-leading residential and commercial building projects, Declan Woulfe Construction is main contractor on the luxurious, visionary Rosefield residential development in Tipperary town. Building Ireland interrupted the hands-on Limerick native and Cork resident’s hectic schedule to find out more.
Set to comprise 120 stunning modern A-rated homes upon completion as well as a nursing home, Rosefield is an exciting and unique new development offering elevated luxury strategically located in a vibrant, thriving and well-established residential area at the heart of Tipperary town, just 30 minutes’ drive from Limerick city.
Designed and built for the way people live today, Rosefield will be a new hub of modern, urban living, its high quality three- and four-bedroom homes built to last and futureproofed with high levels of energy efficiency translating into significant long-term savings for homeowners.
Highly-regarded building contractor Declan Woulfe has been on site at Rosefield for over a year already and the Limerick native, who has resided in County Cork since the late ‘90s, will be predominantly working on the Tipperary town development for the foreseeable future, alongside some other jobs in Cork and Kerry.
“I’m originally from Limerick, I’m living in Middleton and working in Tipp,” he quips. “I’ve done jobs in Kerry and all over but this development in Tipperary is really going to keep us going. I’ve a great crew of workers from Tipp on that job and I’m very happy with them.
“There are 120 houses to be built there, including 16 social and affordable homes, and also a nursing home, which hasn’t even started yet. At the moment, we are building the first 14 houses for the private market, and the owners will have moved into them by Christmas.
“I’m also doing maintenance work for McMahons Builders Providers in Cork and for the local GAA club in Midleton, as well as steady smaller jobs around Cork, so we are being kept busy for sure and I can’t complain.”
Since he started working in the construction industry in 1996, Declan has become known for workmanship of the highest calibre and this is reflected in every project he puts his name to. He trained as a welder / fitter from a young age and was so skilled and dedicated to the work that he was already a coded welder when still a second-year apprentice.
“I still weld and when I’m doing a private houses I do all the structural steel work myself,” he continues. “I also own all my own machinery and scaffolding, and do all the groundworks on any houses I build. After that, I hire in experienced and skilled plumbers, plasterers, electricians, block layers, etc.”
Declan is the personification of a hands-on contractor and it’s not uncommon for him to work over the weekend, including Sundays, to make sure everything is right for the subcontractors going onsite on Monday morning. “I’m hands-on and that’s probably my biggest downfall,” he comments. “I’m constantly working and don’t get to see the family as much as I’d like, but I don’t mind it too much for the time being and hopefully things will quieten down in two or three years.
“I’m much happier with a shovel in my hand than a biro or a computer. My wife, Ann Maria, is a massive help – she looks after the wages and helps out with the accounts.”
Located within the biodiverse, environmentally rich setting of Tipperary town, the new Rosefield community will provide generous pocket parks and play areas to create an atmosphere of well-being for residents. The homes will have easy accessibility to the adjoining town centre through roads, walkways and cycle routes.
Rosefield stands as a visionary residential development, redefining luxury and comfort through an enchanting collection of three- and four-bedroom houses. This visionary development incorporates a nursing home, an assisted living facility, as well as ideal homes for first-time buyers and those looking to upgrade.
All homes in Rosefield will be A-rated and incorporate sustainable renewable technology resulting in low-carbon footprints and lower energy costs. High levels of insulation incorporated in floors, walls and roof also futureproof the homes with high levels of comfort.
With high efficiency mechanical ventilation system and high levels of thermal insulation and airtightness throughout, as well as high-efficiency air-to-water heat pump with underfloor heating on the ground floor and high output radiators on the first floor, these homes have an energy rating of A2, offering both comfort and convenience.
Regarding the size of his onsite team, Declan reveals: “It varies but there could be up to 30 or 40 men there at any given time, depending on what’s going on. At the moment, pretty much all of our time is being taken up there…”
As for the key to running a successful contracting company, the driving force behind Declan Woulfe Construction states: “I’d always say to any contractor starting out to not get too big, too quick. They will all start off with this big idea of having 20 men working for them and so much work, but this rarely works out. It’s better to keep it at the right size.
“I have six or seven men working on groundworks and snagging but outside of that all the subcontractors are responsible for their own finishes. The most important thing is to have a good crew – which I have in Tipperary and that’s why I’m staying there. Cork is so busy that it’s harder to get good men.”
Declan learned very early on how volatile construction can be. “I was only working for myself for a year and had a site with ten men building houses and the bang hit … it’s only now that things are coming back around again. Builders who had been on the go for 20 years just shut up shop because they knew that you don’t make money hiring people during a recession. But I took on fellas and worked for Irish Water and then didn’t get paid … I learned a lot from it.
“I’m still here to tell the tale and my kids have a good interest in it, which is encouraging. My eldest daughter was doing nursing at college when she was 17 but I told her that could be a thankless job and she’s now doing Business Studies and Accountancy and she’ll be capable of coming back and running this business. My son is doing his Leaving Cert next year and wants to do civil engineering after that. I like the idea of a second-generation family business, I can sit on the digger and let them get on with it!”
Through first-hand experience, Declan learned a lot of invaluable lessons over the years and these helped to make him the exceptional builder he is today. “If I could go back in time and find someone to tell me what to do and what not to do, I’d do some of it differently. Or maybe I wouldn’t listen. You learn from your mistakes and that’s no harm.
“Cork has been very, very good to me,” he concludes. “I came to Cork with €10 in my pocket to give a lad a hand for a week and ended up in that job for three years. That was in 1997/98. I got opportunities in Cork that I never would have got back in Limerick where I come from. I consider myself very lucky with the people I met and the contacts I made and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Declan Woulfe Construction,
Walshtown More,
Dungourney,
County Cork.
Tel: 086 2932547
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, March 2025, Vol 11 No 3
Declan Woulfe Construction, featured
