In September, 2017, Colm Byrne Civil & Building Contractors Ltd. commenced work on Laois GAA’s new Centre of Excellence at O’Moore Park Portlaoise. We travelled to Enniscorthy, County Wexford and had a chat with eponymous founder / proprietor Colm Byrne to find out more about this exceptional operation, which has made tremendous strides over the past decade.

As Colm Byrne Civil & Building Contractors Ltd. marks its tenth anniversary, it seems wholly appropriate that this conscientious, dependable construction firm goes into the 2018 calendar year working on a particularly prestigious, high-profile project – Laois GAA’s new €4m Centre of Excellence.

The fact that a contractor from the south east has secured this major contract in the midlands speaks volumes for the high esteem in which Colm Byrne is held in the construction industry nationwide. Since setting up his own company in 2008, the Wexford man has embraced his work with passion, enthusiasm and meticulous attention to detail, delivering an outstanding product every time and earning an unrivalled reputation for excellent workmanship.

Colm immerses himself in every project – be it a school, warehouse or residential home – and prides himself on leaving behind a building that lives up to – nay, exceeds – his clients’ expectations. Insistence on the highest standards backed by total integrity and a get-things-done attitude has seen Colm Byrne Civil & Building Contractors Ltd. go from strength to strength in recent years and their order book for the coming year is looking very healthy indeed.

Being appointed by Laois GAA to build their new Centre of Excellence was a major endorsement of Colm’s ability to consistently deliver the goods. And as a GAA man himself – winner of five senior hurling championships in Wexford with Rathnure – he’s proud to have been entrusted with such a landmark project, one that has thrust his business into the national arena:

“We started working on the Centre of Excellence in September and we hope to be finished by May / June,” says Colm. “We’re putting in four main dressing rooms with showers, toilets, ice baths, etc. as well as a gymnasium, meeting rooms, an office, main reception area, a dining room / catering area for county teams and also a viewing gallery looking out onto the main pitch from the corner of the building.

“It’s an important project for me and I see it as a step forward. As a Wexford contractor, I suppose the reality is that when you do a job in the middle of Wexford, you won’t get much publicity out of it but this is a high-profile one on the national stage and we are hoping it’s going to put us in the shop window a bit more.”

Colm has always invested 100% into every project – large or small, near or far, complete build or refurb / extension – and this is reflected in the long list of satisfied customers culminating in a steady flow of repeat business and positive referrals.

At the time of writing, Colm was also working on a new bonded warehouse for Waterford Distillery / Stafford Wholesale as well as carrying out extensions / refurbs on 1970s and ‘80s properties in Greystones and Dublin respectively. Colm Byrne Civil & Building Contractors Ltd. also upgrades reservoirs for Carlow County Council and has successfully delivered a number of top-class projects for the Department of Education.

“We did a five-classroom extension at FCJ Bunclody; a resource room, classroom extension and mechanical upgrade at Caim National School, Enniscorthy; and an extension and refurbishment at Clonegal National School in Carlow,” the affable Wexford man confirms. “We also completed another bonded warehouse at Waterford Airport Business Park last year for Waterford Distillery in conjunction with Stafford Wholesale.”

Reflecting on the genesis of his outstanding company ten years ago, Colm continues: “I actually started off doing plant hire and then some landscaping and branched into building, which has been the main focus of the business since around 2010. Myself and my wife, Joan Carty, oversee things at the moment but we’re hoping to expand the operation this year by taking on a QS, some office staff and some tradesmen.”

High-end, bespoke, one-off homes is another specialist area in which Colm Byrne Civil & Building Contractors Ltd. has earned a solid reputation. “We’re still doing that even though we’re taking on a lot of commercial work,” says Colm. “We’ve done high-end houses not just in Wexford but also in Wicklow and South Dublin. Three or four years ago, that was very much what we specialised in. You really do learn your trade when you are building a high-end house.”

Indeed, in 2016, Colm Byrne Civil & Building Contractors erected a stunning eco house in Rathnew, which was constructed using energy-efficient proton blocks (with no cavities). “It’s a breathable house, with underfloor heating also installed, and it runs at 21 degrees all year around,” he adds.

Such is the quality of all work provided, the company’s reputation for exceptional workmanship is spreading organically. “Our subcontractors are excellent as well,” notes Colm, who employs eight men directly in addition to 20 subcontracted men who work for him on a regular basis.

Was it a big risk getting into construction while Ireland was still in recession? “There were some difficult times,” Colm admits. “Thankfully, housebuilding took off again five years ago. Before that, we were doing extensions, but nothing big, and money was tight. I was doing all the groundworks and digging myself and was also labouring for my own blocklayer! We had to do anything we could to get over the recession. But in the last couple of years we have been able to employ more people.”

At the worst of it, Colm was working from 5:30am until 8pm up to seven days a week. He hasn’t slowed up much since and says there’ll be no let-up in the future: “We are not afraid to travel for work if it is viable and we will price work all over the country. My overheads are low and that’s why I’m able to compete on price.

“I love the building industry and really enjoy the buzz and the work. I’m a toolmaker by trade and I’m happiest when I’m building. I enjoy the challenge and can’t get enough of it. Everywhere I go, I look at buildings to see what I can learn from them, even on family holidays. This is what I’m into. I want to expand, take on the bigger jobs, take on more lads and drive it on.”

Another key strength of Colm Byrne Civil & Building Contractors is the keen attention to customer satisfaction. “We always work to the benefit of the client,” Colm concludes. “We are fair builders and we work with them and guarantee a very good job. We get very few callbacks. The work is completed to a high level and we’re fair and honest – we never see a client wrong. We don’t believe in putting the boot in, either. We’re straight with people and communication is key.

“I also keep a good atmosphere on site at all times. That’s important, too, to have everybody working together and getting along.”

Colm Byrne Civil & Building Contractors Ltd.,

Ballywilliam,

Enniscorthy,

County Wexford.

Tel: 087 4121274

Email: [email protected]

Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, April/May 2018, Vol 4 No 4

Colm Byrne Civil & Building Contractors