When it comes to Formwork & Reinforced Concrete Works, James Irwin Construction are one of the leading subcontractors in Ireland. Established in 2006, James Irwin and his dedicated team have built the company up to be one of Ireland’s leading Subcontractors who have delivered on several key Irish projects in recent years.
We asked James what the key is to the company’s success; “That loyalty to our Clients and our own Operatives on the ground would be at the forefront. No job is too small, we look at each job with its own merits and we are willing to engage with the Client no matter how complex a project may be. We have an experienced workforce that takes pride in their work and with the right attitude and dedication the solutions will be found.”
The company is proud of the fact that the majority of its workforce has been involved since the company was founded and Irwin Construction’s main source of business comes from returning clients who it has built up an exemplary working relationship with and who are always assured of quality and customer satisfaction.
The company has carried out works in nearly all sectors and holds an impressive portfolio on projects worked on: Centre Parcs Longford Forest; Dublin Airport- New Runway; The Curragh Racecourse – New Grandstand; Data Centres for both Microsoft and Facebook; MSD Biotech Expansion in Swords; New N4 road project in Sligo – Castlebaldwin to Collooney; Vartry WTP.
We spoke to Jeaff McGann, the company’s Health & Safety Manager, about how the company found working during the current climate. Safety has always been paramount with Irwin Construction and never more so than in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
“COVID-19 has been challenging for everyone. Thankfully, we have managed to continue through it as the vast majority of our jobs are outdoors and are also low level. We were lucky enough to be able to stay going during the first lockdown earlier in 2020, as a few of the Pharma projects we were working on, such as Pfizer in Newbridge on behalf of John Sisk & Son and Abbotts Longford were classed as essential services,” Jeaff continues.
“We were also contracted to carry out Facility Maintenance works on 3 number Power stations at that time, ESB West Offaly Power plant Shannonbridge, ESB Lough Ree Power in Lanesboro Co Longford and GE Energy’s plant in Tynagh Co Galway. Sadly, both the ESB Plants are due to close at the end of the year which will be a big loss for families in those areas, the community in general and indeed to ourselves as they were a fantastic client to us down through the years.”
Irwin Construction have a highly trained workforce, and the company has a full-time Safety & Quality Assurance Advisor, Louise Darcy, who is kept busy travelling between the sites, day-to-day.
The company has CSCS trained personnel in the following disciplines: scaffolding, teleporter operations, site dumpers, 360’ excavators, slingers signalling and LUGS (Location of Underground Service). In addition, all operatives are trained in manual handling, while managers and supervisors hold CIF Site Supervisor Safety Programme & IOSH Managing Safely in Construction certificates.
With the times that are in it, all operatives will have completed the CIF Covid-19 inductions, while Irwin Construction also have a number of our personnel trained as Covid-19 Compliance officers.
Originally based in Lanesborough, Irwin Construction’s head office is now located in nearby Roscommon Town from where it provides formwork services to a wide range of clients across the country. The company is customer-focused and people-orientated and is proud of the fact that a lot of its workforce have been involved since its inception. Irwin Construction’s main source of business comes from returning clients who it has built up an exemplary working relationship with and who are always assured of quality and customer satisfaction.
The contractor’s status as one of Ireland’s premier formwork specialists is reflected in its impressive client list which includes the ESB, GE Energy, Abbott Diagnostics Longford, Breedon Cement, Athlone IT as well as leading construction firms such as Roadbridge, John Sisk & Son, BAM, Glasgiven & Tusker.
These clients choose James Irwin Construction time and again because of its exemplary Health & Safety record, dedication to project completion, a well-structured company with direct control over all projects, employment of a direct labour force, highly technical and experienced staff, ongoing training programmes which cover all aspects of the business, a commitment to quality, contractor’s insurance for all aspects of the business, full participation in the CIF pension scheme and full C2 tax clearance certification.
Examples of the types of projects undertaken by Irwin Construction include – Generating Stations: ESB West Offaly Power Station, Shannonbridge; ESB Lough Ree Power Station, Lanesborough; GE Tynagh Power, Tynagh; ESB Moneypoint; Bord na Mona, Edenderry Power Station; Indaver Waste to Energy, Duleek; ESB Cathleen’s Falls, Ballyshannon; Mayo Power, Killala (construction stage); ESB Substation, Castlebaggott; ESB 220kv Substation, Corduff.
Pharmaceutical Plants: Abbott Diagnostics, Longford; Alexion, Athlone; Abbvie, Sligo; Allergan, Mayo; Alkermes (formerly Elan), Athlone; Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Athlone; BD Medical, Dublin; Takeda infrastructure project, Dunboyne; MSD Biotech, Swords.
Airports: North Runway Development, Dublin Airport; Shannon Airport.
Treatment works and reservoirs: Vartry Reservoir, Wicklow; Liscarton WWTP, Navan; Prucklish Reservoir, Longford; Tonabrockey Reservoir, Galway; Clifden WWTP; Ballinlough, Hodson Bay, Athlone; Knockcroghery, Strokestown, Elphin, Ballyleague and Frenchpark Water Treatment Plants, Co. Roscommon.
Bridges: Castlecoote Bridge, Co. Roscommon; N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin development.
Commercial: Facebook Data Centre, Clonee; Medtronic, Galway; DPD, Athlone; Ballina Beverages (Coca-Cola); Microsoft, Grangecastle.
Specialist Housing: Numbers 2 and 24, Shrewsbury Road, Ballsbridge.
Schools: Maynooth Education Campus; The Downs National School, Mullingar.
Recently completed projects include:
Center Parcs development Longford Forest, for John Sisk & Roadbridge; Vartry Reservoir Wicklow for BAM; The Curragh Racecourse Redevelopment, Co. Kildare for John Sisk; MSD Biotech Swords for Roadbridge; Microsoft Grangecastle for Roadbridge; The Downs National School, Mullingar for Conneelys; Abbvie Project Trinity, Sligo for John Sisk; Alkermes, Athlone for Kilcawleys; Pfizer, Newbridge for John Sisk.
Current projects being undertaken by Irwin Construction include: Dublin Airport North Runway (client: FCC / Roadbridge and Carlow Concrete), Facebook Data Centre, Clonee (client: Roadbridge / J Coffey) and N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin development (client: Roadbridge) The scope of works on these projects includes formwork, steel-fixing and concrete placing (on bridges in the case of the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road development).
“We are involved with Roadbridge in all three projects,” Jeaff McGann explains.
“We’ve worked with Roadbridge since 2017 when they contracted us to carry out all the RC works for the bases to 470 lodges at Center Parcs. We subsequently worked with them on the Microsoft and MSD Biotech projects, which are now completed.
“We started works on the new North Runway at Dublin Airport last May and are expected to finish in early to mid-2021. The completion date on the Facebook job is late 2020, having commenced in July 2019. The N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin project is ongoing since October 2019 and our work will be completed in January 2021.”
Irwin Construction’s project with Breedon Cement (originally Lagan) in Kinnegad has been ongoing since 2009. Miscellaneous works recently carried out at the plant include a new silo expansion, new crusher facility, construction of kiln bag filter electrical building, kiln fabric filter foundations and various internal and external facility upgrade works.
The formwork specialist also has projects ongoing at Maynooth Education Campus (client: Glasgiven), Glanbia Project Rome (client: John Sisk & Son), 24 Shrewsbury Road, Ballsbridge (client: Tusker), Lucan Leisure Centre (client: PJ McLoughlin), Liscarton Water Treatment Plant, Navan (client: Glasgiven) and DAA Salt Barn (client: Rowlands Civils)
The management at Irwin Construction would like to take this opportunity to thank their clients and suppliers for their continued support, and their staff for their expertise, hard work and loyalty.
James Irwin Construction Ltd
Unit 9,
Stonecourt,
Roscommon,
Co. Roscommon.
Telephone: 090 66 65682
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, March, Vol 7 No 3
