Northern Ireland firm cements €1.3m contract in Carlow

Northern Ireland’s largest supplier of concrete products, Acheson & Glover, has finished work on a prestigious project based in Carlow in the Republic.

 The contract to supply 3,000 square metres of architectural panels for the new mixed-use Shamrock Plaza development was worth around €1.3m to the company.

Project Manager, Martin O’Reilly, said the six-month project was an excellent example of architectural design and planning and showed real confidence in Acheson & Glover’s products in that the entire external facade of the building showcased the company’s high quality panels to very complex shapes.

 “No other product is visible apart from our cladding and some curtain walling and glazing,” said Martin. “This is aesthetically pleasing from our point of view and shows the real benefits of precast concrete architectural cladding.”

 The architectural panels used include three different types of finish – acid etch buff, smooth ground grey granite and ground smooth buff.

 The contract was completed in phases and the main challenges for the team were working in a tightly restricted site.

 “The main problem was working in such close proximity to pedestrians and traffic as there is a busy crossroads nearby and the Carlow Bypass had not yet opened,” said Martin. “However, with good planning in place, we managed to overcome any obstacles and get the job finished on time.”

Developed by Monaco Properties, Shamrock Plaza is a five-storey landmark building in the area and is one of the new generation of mixed use properties, comprising retail, office and residential units all under one roof.

Landscaping around the property is now complete and the first tenants have moved in, including the new regional office for the Bank of Ireland and Prime Health Care.

The main contractor was Nevin Construction of Waterford which was responsible for the overall construction of the property. John Foley, contracts director, said architectural panels were becoming increasingly popular on high profile buildings such as the Carlow Plaza, chiefly due to their aesthetic qualities, longevity, low maintenance and inherent ability to create a “scaffoldless building”.