One of the longest established companies of any kind in Ireland, painting and decorating contractors McCosker & Sons Ltd has been delivering quality finishes since 1770.
With offices in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal and Finglas, Dublin 11, McCosker & Sons is a family-owned and run company that has been serving residential, commercial and pharmaceutical projects with expert craftsmanship for over 250 years. Eunan McCosker heads up the eighth-generation business which employs a 28-strong team of painters and decorators who are supported and supplemented by the same tried and trusted subcontractors. Eunan took over from his father Rossa a decade ago after returning from a spell in the UK.
“My father is still involved. I’ve worked with him since the age of 11 or 12,” the affable managing director explains.
McCosker & Sons is renowned across Ireland for its dedication to quality craftsmanship, professionalism and personal service. Expert painting and decorating, specialist coatings and fireproofing are the main services provided by the contractor whose meticulous approach ensures that every project is enhanced with both style and quality.
The McCosker team’s commitment to delivering high-quality workmanship within their clients’ timescales and budgets, coupled with their reliable turnover of small and large-scale projects, has resulted in them working continuously with some of the largest main contractors in the country. These include John Sisk & Son, JJ Rhatigan, Glebe Construction, Boyle Construction, MB McNamara Construction and Eamon Costello (Kerry) Ltd. McCosker & Sons also enjoys an excellent working relationship with leading steel contractors such as KH Engineering, Mac Engineering, Kiernan Steel and Leonard Engineering.
Without doubt, McCosker & Sons’ greatest asset is its people. Its qualified and experienced operatives work closely with clients’ management teams on site to ensure projects are completed to the highest standard with minimum fuss.
“We’d be nothing without our team. They’re the best in the business,” stresses Eunan, who works out of the Dublin office which was opened in 2020 to cater for an expanding client-base in the capital.
“Central to our longevity and success has been our ability to retain good staff down through the years. It would be remiss of me not to mention some of our longest-serving team members. Paddy Cassidy is still going strong after 42 or 43 years with us. I learned nearly everything I know about painting from him. Aidan Walsh is also 25 years-plus on the brush, while our quantity surveyor, Dessie McNamara, has been with us for a similar length of time, having joined straight from college.
“Gráinne McAlone has been working in accounts for over 30 years. I have a crew of seven or eight lads with me in Dublin and most of them have been with us for 10 years or more. You can’t buy that kind of experience.”
McCosker & Sons’ painters and decorators carry out all size and scale of projects alongside small and large main contractors across all sectors. Furthermore, the company’s comprehensive painting and decorating services for pharmaceutical facilities specialist finishes include industrial floor coatings, corrosion protection, marine coatings, car park lining and hygienic coatings. The Ballyshannon-headquartered firm is an approved applicator of products such as Sherwin Williams, Hempel, Sika, International and Jotun. Its skilled operatives prepare surfaces correctly and apply products as per specification, providing certification on completion where necessary.
McCosker & Sons is also an approved applicator of various intumescent coatings, including Sherwin Williams, Nullifire, Jotun and Envirograf. The painting and decorating specialist provides fire protection to structural steel and timber from 30 minutes up to 120 minutes as required. Its experienced applicators apply products as per manufacturer’s specification and provide certification on completion.
The family business’ portfolio ranges from apartment blocks, housing estates and student accommodation to educational, pharmaceutical, healthcare, commercial and industrial projects. Recently completed jobs included One Central Plaza, Center Parcs, Alexian Pharma, Dublin Airport Logistics Park, Mullingar General Hospital, Goethe Institute, Northwest Business Park, Pfizer, Wasdell, Takeda, Stemple Exchange and Shiel Hospital in Ballyshannon.
“We spent five years working on One Central Plaza on Dame Street in Dublin city centre. Formerly the Central Bank, it has undergone a major refurbishment and is now a mix of office, food and beverage, and retail space, ” Eunan explains.
“We also applied the fire protection paint to the Subtropical Swimming Paradise in Center Parcs. One Central Plaza, St Brogan’s College in Bandon, Co. Cork and Shiel Hospital are just some of the award-winning projects we’ve been associated with. We pride ourselves on our quality finish and timescale.”
As McCosker & Sons continues to go from strength to strength, the long-standing business would like to take this opportunity to thank its clients and suppliers for their continued support as well as its staff for their hard work, dedication, and expertise.
McCosker & Sons Ltd
Portnason,
Ballyshannon,
Co. Donegal.
Telephone: 071 985 1228
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, November 2024, Vol 10 No 11
