With over 30 years’ experience, Mac Electrics Ltd is one of Ireland’s leading electrical contractors. Based in Armagh city, the family-run business is renowned for its specialist services, particularly in the educational, healthcare and public / heritage building sectors.
Mac Electrics was established in October 1985 by the current managing director Maurice McBirney. It has completed a long list of projects on both sides of the border and delivers excellence across a range of services, including electrical installation, sustainable energy and specialist systems on commercial and industrial projects. The firm prides itself on providing a professional, innovative and high-quality service. An ability to work closely with the main contractor, combined with attention to detail, is key to its ability to win prestigious contracts.
It goes without saying that every project is completed on time and within budget. “Over the years, we’ve earned a reputation for service, quality and attention to detail. Most of our work is secured through word of mouth and recommendations,” director and contracts manager Philip McBirney explains.
Among the services that Mac Electrics offers are general power distribution installation; power distribution – LV and MV; UPS – power back, general and emergency lighting systems; fire alarm systems; access data control; data networks; structured cabling systems; motor control centre (MCC) installations; audio visual systems. Its specialist areas are education, healthcare, public / heritage buildings, solar energy / energy management and specialist domestic.
The contractor is dedicated to providing quality assurance at every stage of the project, with Health & Safety being its number one priority. Mac Electrics strongly believes that injury is preventable and enforces this methodology through ongoing training, ensuring all risk assessments and method statements are adhered to. Complete client satisfaction is achieved through openness in communication, high quality and voluminous knowledge, experience, competency and efficiency on site. The project handover isn’t made until the client’s needs and service requirements have been fully met.
As well as being one of the few electrical companies in Ireland that are Health Board certified, and are therefore approved for working on hospital sites, Mac Electrics is ISO 9001, Safe-T-Cert, NICEIC, Safe Electric and Constructionline accredited.
Two of the most prestigious projects Mac Electrics has completed recently were in the public / heritage sector. The company was delighted to be associated with the regeneration of Kilmainham Courthouse which was restored and converted to form part of the Kilmainham Gaol and Courthouse Tour for the 1916 Commemoration. The scope of works installed were full electrical services, including general and emergency lighting, and a range of modern and specialist services, which had to be integrated into the listed buildings fabric.
Also in Dublin, the Samuel Beckett Centre project was a modern and complex design of a newly-built leisure campus with many recreational facilities, including a crèche, gym, sports changing facilities, community centre and library. The structure of the building was built with multiple electrical elements cast into concrete with all systems to be maintained and controlled through a BMS system. As with all projects, Mac Electrics worked closely with the main contractor, which in this case was Duggan Bros.
The Armagh-based concern has an impressive portfolio of school projects to its name, including Tannaghmore Primary School in Lurgan and Belfast Royal Academy. Working closely with the main contractor Glasgiven Contracts, Mac Electrics undertook a complete upgrade of Tannaghmore Primary School which included the construction of 21 classrooms along with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment as part of the first phase. The second phase saw the addition of a reception, school meals kitchen, dining hall and principal’s office.
Belfast Royal Academy included the construction of a new two-storey building to provide purpose-built accommodation for music and learning support, together with the extension and refurbishment of the listed Jackson building which provides new dining facilities, HE accommodation and toilets. Striking the balance between the new build and working in the listed building provided the biggest challenge for Mac Electrics and the main contractor Felix O’Hare & Co.
“Working in the Jackson building offered a lot of different issues and was certainly a lot less straightforward than the new build section of the project,” Philip recalls.
“Restoration projects require a certain skillset, but with a listed building you have to be additionally respectful of the structure. We are experienced in working in these environments, however, and were able to find suitable solutions to the various structural and Health & Safety issues which arose.”
Mac Electrics was recently appointed main electrical contractor to a major refurbishment of Methodist College in Belfast, where some of the scenes for the Harry Potter movie franchise were shot. The contract will see the refurbishment of the McArthur Hall building involving extensive repair and remedial work to the listed building. When completed, the scheme will provide new educational spaces to include an ICT suite, business information systems, library, careers suite and general classrooms. New accommodation will also be provided.
South of the border, Mac Electrics has worked on projects at Navan Educational Campus in Co. Meath, Breffni College in Cavan and Gaelscoil Mornington in Co. Meath. In the healthcare sector, it has carried out major electrical contracting projects at Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan and St. Oliver Plunkett’s Nursing Home in Dundalk.
Mac Electrics
Unit 42,
Armagh Business Centre,
Loughgall Road,
Armagh,
Co. Armagh BT61 7NH
Telephone: 028 (048) 3752 4007
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, February 2017, Vol 3 No 2
