MCF Building Consultants Ltd is delighted to be a finalist in the ‘Fitout or Refurbishment Up to €1.5m’ category of the 2026 Irish Construction Excellence Awards (ICE Awards), which take place in Dublin’s Convention Centre on Thursday, May 28.
Established by Peter McFarlane in 2008 to provide quality surveying and project management services nationwide, MCF Building Consultants has been recognised for its exceptional work on a period family home in Fort William, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal for clients Patricia Slevin and Paul Tuohy. The scope of work was literally to make the house warm, modern and comfortable, while keeping its character and restoring the old features throughout the building.
Constructed in the early 1800s, the three-storey period house with basement was built onto an older wing which was part of an old estate occupying extensive mature landscaped grounds with a once-walled garden. The ICE Awards recognise, encourage and celebrate original and innovative contractors, businesses, teams, consultants and projects that demonstrate excellence in the built environment.
“We’re thrilled to be shortlisted for an ICE Award. There is very little recognition in our industry, so you take it when it comes along,” says Peter, who has offices in his home town of Tullamore, Co. Offaly and adopted Mount Charles in Co. Donegal.
“We were delighted to have been given the opportunity by Patricia and Paul to modernise their period home, which has been in Patricia’s family for three generations. While their budget was fair, we had to think outside the box to make it work. This meant reducing the size of the extension to the rear but, in the end, they were very pleased with how everything turned out.”
The project was not without its challenges, with extensive dampness, cold bridging, a leaking roof, lack of any insulation and drafty sash windows to name but a few among the issues Peter and his colleagues had to overcome, all while maintaining the character of the existing house and managing the client’s budget.
He explains: “Along with various skilled tradesmen, we worked together to overcome the challenges as they presented themselves, which were many due to the age of the building. We had to treat the house in all areas with a woodworm treatment along with a major strip-out of all existing wall and floor finishes, whilst protecting the existing ornate covings, staircase, internal doors and joinery.
“We were able to maintain the existing wattle and lath lime plastered walls with careful detailing, along with rebuilding old rotting timber windows, reveals and mouldings, and refurbishing the old shutters throughout. All existing timber sash windows were refurbished with new double glazing, ropes, weights and locks, whilst retaining the old timber frames and sashes.
“Rear external walls were plastered with lime plaster; the existing roof was completely re-slated with reclaimed natural slates, while internally a new heating system and electrical fitout was carried out using Heritage lights, switches and sockets throughout.
“All internal finishes were a mixture of ornate-patterned wallpaper and breathable paint finishes with colours in dark greens and oranges as well as cream to corridors and lobbies with carpet to staircase and upper floors and timber flooring to ground floors with tiled entrance, all in keeping with the character of the house. We used a lot of old methods of construction on this project, along with some more modern ones where required, including the kitchen fitout.”
Elaborating on the challenges faced by budget constraints, Peter says: “There was a decent budget, but these old houses have a high cost to run and maintain, and employing a main contractor was not an option.
“Instead, we entered into a direct labour project employing various tradesmen to complete the project and the challenges that present. That said, we prepared our drawings, specifications, budgets and managed to achieve the impossible by completing the project within our client’s budget.
“This was down to the hard work of all the tradesmen, who delivered time and time again. With such an old building, there was a lot of thinking outside the box to which you won’t find the information in a technical book, but you need to rely on your gut feeling and local knowledge, along with experience from wise and senior tradesmen.
“The one thing I learned coming away from this project is that there is always a solution to a problem. You just might have to think outside the box, while it is always good to contact your network of colleagues, as someone will have come across a similar issue on another project, no matter how rare it may be.
“Also, to be upfront with your clients is very important from the outset, especially on the budget, and explain to them the limitations it may present versus the tasks at hand.”
MCF Building Consultants was originally formed as a Quantity Surveying practice before evolving to provide a full suite of services, including Project Management, Building Surveying, Property Reports, Insurance Claims and Design Consultations. As a small and personable practice, MCF Building Consultants can offer one-to-one attention on smaller projects, while providing the resources to complete large and complex projects nationwide.
“We work closely with our clients to manage project costs. Our approach is geared towards maximising our clients’ budget potential and ensuring cost control on all projects,” adds the affable Offaly man, who has extensive experience of all aspects of the construction industry.
Offering unrivalled services to main contractors, architects, design teams, developers, subcontractors, private individuals, public and corporate entities, business is flying for the award-nominated practice which is involved in many sectors of the industry.
“We’re currently working on residential projects in Tullamore, Newbridge, Mount Merrion and Sydney Avenue in Dublin as well as a number of school projects in the Midlands and Donegal. We’re also collaborating with the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine on the new Small Craft Harbour Amenity Building in Killybegs, Co. Donegal and the renovation of the Ferry Terminal in Rossaveal, Co. Galway, so we’re very busy,” Peter concludes.
MCF Building Consultants Ltd
Rahan Road,
Tullamore,
Co. Offaly.
Main Street,
Mountcharles,
Co. Donegal.
Telephone: 086 864 6709
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.mcfconsult.com
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, May 2026, Vol 12 No 5
featured, MCF Building Consultants
