Synonymous with the consistent attainment of industry-leading standards, James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical deploys a fantastic in-house team of skilled, experienced tradesmen to deliver a comprehensive range of construction projects to private and public clients across Connacht. Building Ireland headed to Westport and touched base with James for a quick update.
The magnificent, extensive portfolio of completed projects serves as testament to the versatility, excellence, attention to detail and exceptional workmanship that personifies every facet of James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical – a company which this year celebrates 30 years in business!
Operating out of Westport, County Mayo, the model family-run contracting company provides a comprehensive range of plumbing, electrical and construction services to customers throughout the province.
Boasting decades of experience handling installation, maintenance and repair requests and undertaking projects of all sizes and specifications – from a simple fault finding mission to a bespoke new build home on a greenfield site – for coming up on three decades James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical has consistently exceeded client expectations.
Completing a vast array of works on time and within budget – and always to the highest possible standards of safety, compliance and construction excellence – James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical benefits from a large volume of repeat business from satisfied clients as well as regular referrals through positive work.
The multi-skilled in-house team of vastly-experienced, meticulous and motivated tradesmen only work with materials and equipment sourced from trusted suppliers in order to guarantee quality workmanship. James and his team are in bigger demand than ever these days, with the key strength of the service provided being that they operate as a complete one-stop shop covering all electrical, plumbing and building needs through their own in-house tradesmen.
“That’s exactly it,” the hands-on Mayo contractor agrees. “We are in the position to cover everything ourselves from start to finish so there’s only one point of contact we have the experience and expertise to handle everything.”
In the early days, as the company name intimates, James covered mechanical and electrical work only, but construction was gradually incorporated into an expanding range of services in response to demand for quality workmanship met by a can-do attitude.
James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical – which started out as a two-man plumbing and electrical contracting outfit in 1996 and became a limited company in 2007 – has never looked back and a large percentage of the work delivered today is general construction, be that new builds or refurbishments.
“We’re flat out and I suppose that’s what happens when you leave quality work behind you. That’s the most important thing as far as I’m concerned: making sure you leave quality work behind. That’s how you’ll get the next job.”
Equally adept at delivering public and private contracts, James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical boasts a proven track record working with Mayo County Council. At the time of writing, they were working on up to 14 projects with the local authority under the Buy & Renew Scheme, which is pivotal in the critical area of replenishing the social housing stock in Ireland.
Under the Buy & Renew Scheme, Mayo County Council acquire properties that are vacant in areas where there exists a pressing need for the provision of social housing, remediates these properties and makes them available to those on the housing waiting list. On these vitally-important projects, James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical gets to leverage and showcase the full capacity of its mechanical, electrical and construction proficiency.
These are unique projects in that they are essentially new builds taking place within the stripped-out shell of an existing vacant building that wasn’t fit for purpose. They tie in perfectly the capabilities of James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical:
“The Buy & Renew projects involve a broad range of work. The buildings are brought back to four walls and nothing else is left. Apart from the four walls, everything else is new. In some cases, we even take up the floors and put in insulation, underfloor heating and heat pumps. We completely rewire the house and re-plumb it. They are fully insulated plastered, painted and re-roofed. We look after it all and you end up with a brand new house on the footprint of the old one.”
At the heart of this outstanding, highly-versatile and in-demand contractor is the wonderful crew of in-house tradesmen who report for work every day. James – who runs the business in conjunction with his wife Mary and son Patrick – has surrounded himself with a dependable team of talented tradesmen, who pride themselves on delivering stunning workmanship time and time again.
“We have a team of 20 on the books and you’d be lost without them. The biggest problem with carrying your own trades is the tax bill you get on top of the wage bill. Once Revenue come in and take their cut, it’s a massive hit. The lads are all great and many of them have been with me for a long time. We cover most of the trades ourselves but we also bring in a few regular subcontractors – for roofing, plastering and groundworks.”
From humble beginnings, by putting customers first, James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical has come a long way over the past three decades to establish itself as one of Mayo’s premier public and private construction contractors.
“The aim going forward is to keep looking after our customers, to continue to offer quality services and to keep going for as long as we can,” the Mayo man concludes. “I’ll probably be taking a backseat soon and hopefully Patrick will continue on if he wants to, but that’ll be his decision to make when the time comes.”
James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical,
Oughty,
Liscarney,
Westport,
County Mayo.
Tel: 098 21597
Mobile: 0872283630
Email: [email protected]
Web: jamesheneghanconstruction.com
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, November 2026, Vol 12 No 12
James Heneghan Plumbing & Electrical
