Since its inception in 2009, Rathmore Mechanical Services Ltd has grown to become a leader in mechanical engineering services nationwide. Building Ireland spoke with company co-director Diarmaid Whoriskey to get the low down on this Co Donegal-based business, its projects and plans going forward.
When Diarmaid Whoriskey and his father-in-law TJ O’Mahoney took the decision to pool their experience and set-up Rathmore Mechanical Services Ltd 16 years ago, they did so in the hope of one day heading up a company which would be renowned for the excellence in its service.
Today, Rathmore Mechanical Services is very much a specialist when it comes to heating, plumbing, ventilation and air conditioning, while also offering steel works as part of its repertoire of services as well.
The company is operating with 18 full-time staff from its base in Rathmore, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal and has 12 vans on the road, which are on-call 24/7 for the likes of long-time clients such as the HSE.
Building Ireland caught up with its co-director Diarmaid Whoriskey recently hear more about the business and what he feels separates it from the competition out there.
“Business has been grand. We’ve been steady the last couple of years now, but you can see a bit of slowdown coming in,” outlined Diarmaid, whose wife Lorraine also acts as the company secretary on a part-time basis.
“We’re just kind of picking and choosing what we want now because the skilled workforce is not there.
“We kind of downsized a bit due to taking on work and we haven’t got the men to fill the positions, but that’s where we just pick and choose now and take on subcontractors as we need them.
“But we’ve been steady. We still have our Aldis and our Super Valus and we do a lot of work with the HSE. We’ve our regular builders and, at the moment, we have enough work on the books up until summer next year.”
Every staff member at Rathmore Mechanical Services is fully qualified and hold all the relevant qualifications required by the trade.
Right now, the company is immersed in a number of different projects around the country which Diarmaid was good enough to shed some light on.
“We’re starting a big project there at the IDA Technology building in Letterkenny for Glebe Builders,” explained the co-director.
“We have about four Aldi stores on at the minute and we’re doing a Super Valu in Dublin. We’re retrofitting IMC Cinemas throughout Ireland, with two or three of them being retrofitted, and we’re currently doing a NZEB Training Centre in Sligo with McMorrow Construction.
“We currently have secured a contract with the Shed Distillery in Drumshambo. It’s a Visitor Centre and work is set to start on that at the end of the year.
“Actually, I’m just thinking that we’ve done a big retrofit there in the Clayton Hotel in Sligo with the swimming pool and conference centre.
“We’re also currently doing maintenance with a lot of HSE projects, and that’s something we’ve been doing six or seven years now.”
Since ‘Day One’, Rathmore Mechanical Services has been proud of its trusted relationships with clients.
As a company, it has always done its utmost to deliver the highest levels of service, safety and security and its hands-on experience brings confidence and peace of mind to their customers.
So what is it about the Donegal firm that sets it apart from the competition out there?
For Diarmaid, the success behind Rathmore Mechanical Services to date comes down to a comes down to a combination of different factors.
“I would put it probably down to the standard and quality of work. The standard and quality, the on-call service and the service we give them in breakdowns,” he stated plainly.
“The professionalism as well. There’s nothing too big of a problem that we won’t resolve and we’ll resolve it without causing too much fuss.”
As well as high quality standards of work and professionalism, Rathmore Mechanical Services also puts a huge emphasis on the health and safety of their employees and within each project that it undertakes as a company.
“Health & Safety is a big priority as far as we are concerned,” said Diarmaid. “We’re a member of the Construction Industry Federation and have our Safe-T-Cert. You can’t take any short cuts when it comes to Health & Safety.”
Overall, business is good at Rathmore Mechanical Services and the projects seemingly continue to come thick and fast.
So what are the hopes for the coming months and into next year for this family-run company?
According to Diarmaid, it’s about further growth while maintaining the high standards that its workforce continues to deliver on projects week in, week out.
“We’re trying to expand because we can see the work picking up, but, at the same time, the workforce isn’t there,” said the Tir Chonaill County native.
“You know what I mean? The skilled labour is not there, so we’re kind of having to rely on subcontractors to come in and help us. In saying that, we are looking to expand and get in apprentices and that. It’s just hard at the minute.”
Rathmore Mechanical Services Ltd
Rathmore,
Ballyshannon,
Co Donegal.
Mobile: 087 263 1951
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, Winter 2025, Vol 11 No 14
featured, Rathmore Mechanical Services
