Drawing on decades of experience, tradition and expertise, Donegal-based building contractor Terence Ponsonby Ltd. has demonstrated remarkable capabilities since the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic. Building Ireland touched base with managing director Barrie Cox to find out more about this outstanding operation, which continues to set the standards and reach new heights.
There exists an oft-used saying that when the going gets tough the tough get going. This could certainly be applied to the trusty team at Terence Ponsonby Ltd., who have stepped up to the challenge big time over the past 14 months or so, since a public health emergency was declared in Ireland due to the arrival on our shores of Covid-19. When called upon to do its part for their local community, the Letterkenny-headquartered contractor focussed its considerable energies and went above and beyond the call of duty.
Specialising predominantly in delivering high-quality public works projects for the Health Service Executive, Office of Public Works and Department of Education, Terence Ponsonby Ltd. pulled out all the stops on a fast-tracked emergency contract for the HSE in March / April 2020, converting the Clinical Skills centre at Letterkenny University Hospital into a new 16-bed ward to accommodate a surge of coronavirus patients as part of ongoing Covid-19 emergency works at the hospital.
Astonishingly, with all hands on deck and an unprecedented sense of urgency spurring them on, four months’ work was completed in just 19 days!
Under the watchful eye of site manager Chris Toner, works began on converting the Clinical Skills centre (adjacent to the old Accident & Emergency unit) on Monday, March 23rd and were completed on Friday, April 10th. The facility had hitherto hosted healthcare practitioners but was converted into a high-spec 16-bed hospital ward in less than three weeks.
Chris, MD Barrie Cox and the methodical Terence Ponsonby team of direct employees and subcontractors worked around the clock to make things happen on the ground at LUH and to ensure that the project was completed within the extremely challenging time constraints.
Terence Ponsonby Ltd. had already been on site at Letterkenny University Hospital, working on a new helipad, having previously completed other works including refurbishment of the CSSD (Central Sterile Services Department) and the Neo Natal ward.
“We got the call on the Friday to mobilise our men and we were on site the following Monday,” Barrie reflects. “We understood that it was an emergency and we treated it accordingly. Chris and the team were on site 20 hours a day, seven days a week for the duration of the emergency project and they did an incredible job. I couldn’t praise them enough.
“Even though the pressure was on, the remodelling work was completed to the very highest standards, with an emphasis on both workmanship and safety. We had a total of 30 men on site. At any given time the team were all locals and they wanted to do their bit as they knew how serious the situation was and how much pressure the hospital was under. I think they can all be extremely proud of their efforts.”
Indeed, other projects have followed at Letterkenny University Hospital as a direct knock-on from that emergency work. Services displaced by the conversion have since had to be restored. To this end, work began on a new Clinical Skills Building in November 2020 and this was handed over to the HSE in March 2021.
Terence Ponsonby Ltd are also currently involved in constructing other displaced services facilities at Letterkenny Hospital. In addition to the Covid works at Letterkenny Hospital, Terence Ponsonby Ltd have recently been involved in creating the Regional Covid 19 Vaccination Centre for the HSE at Letterkenny Institute of Technology.
Established by Barrie’s grandfather in 1945, Terence Ponsonby Ltd. boasts an excellent track record for delivering exceptional public projects on time and within budget. Shortly before the beginning of the public health emergency, they had refurbished government offices on both High Road and Oliver Plunkett Road in Letterkenny.
Barrie Cox took over the running of the family business in 2003 when the late Terence Ponsonby retired.
Terence Ponsonby Ltd are currently engaged on a number of educational projects including the substantial extension and refurbishment to Glenseilly national School just outside Letterkenny. In recent years Terence Ponsonby Ltd have been involved in the School Energy Pathfinder Programme and have completed a number of significant projects in the programme including a design and build project completed at Pobalscoil Neasáin, Dublin last year.
Generating direct gainful employment for a team of 20 as well as a number of tried and trusted sub-contractors, TPL have down through the decades successfully completed a wide range of projects for both public and private sector clients throughout the North West and beyond. Their primary objective is the delivery of client satisfaction through the provision of quality work carried out by quality personnel.
As a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager, MD Barrie Cox continues to operate the company around his grandfather Terence’s founding principles of delivering projects on time, within budget and to the highest standards pertaining to industry.
While on one hand TPL were fortunate in that they were in a position to continue working through the pandemic, it should also be noted that this didn’t quite happen by accident: “We are obviously grateful that we weren’t adversely affected,” says Barrie. “Fortunately, we have the skill base here to carry out these essential healthcare works. We have a lot of experienced men in the company, some of whom have been with us since the 1970s. These men would have started out with us as apprentices and worked their way up to become site managers. You can’t buy that kind of experience.”
Regarding the key to the company’s enduring success and popularity, Barrie continues: “We always adopt a client-focussed approach and that has served us well. We are very focussed on the quality of our service. We have excellent staff and our subcontractors are like an extension of our own team, which helps us consistently provide a high-quality end product.
“Communication and relationships are extremely important. It’s all about people at the end of the day. We focus on the client and their needs and that helps us foster lasting relationships. Going forward, we will continue to focus on public sector projects,” the personable Donegal contractor concludes. “We have a proven history working for these clients, we are cognisant of their needs and this is where our skillset is based.”
Terence Ponsonby Ltd.,
Ballyraine,
Letterkenny,
County Donegal.
Tel: 074 9121721
Fax: 074 9121800
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, July, Vol 7 No 7
