Back on site: Galway construction company bucks the trend
They were a long-forgotten sight on the city’s landscape from the Celtic Tiger property boom, but in recent weeks, around 50 construction workers have been busy building homes for a Galway development company.
That is employment levels created by O’Malley Construction, which haven’t been seen since the market collapsed in 2007/8.
And a series of sales – as well as block deals – in recent months have ensured the company can keep ‘ticking over’ in a downturn that has seen many of their peers around the country collapse.
It’s understood they are the only developers who are currently building in Galway City.
In their Leargán development on the Western Distributor Road, workers are busy completing the final phase – this includes a block of 12 apartments (which have already been sold), and 10 houses, four of which have been pre-booked.
That’s on top of 26 apartments which they sold there in a €3m deal with the Cluid and Tuath housing agencies earlier this year.
On the eastern side of the city, work is ongoing in building a further seven homes in the Réileán development in Roscam.
David Casserly, a director of O’Malley’s told the Connacht Tribune: “It’s a good position to be in. We have around 50 workers between the two sites, so to be able to create jobs, as well as complete these developments is fantastic.”
He said the ongoing work in Leargán will see the entire development finished next Easter.
We will be finishing everything on the outside, so there are no empty areas that look unfinished. And then as each home is sold, they will be finished internally to the buyer’s own taste.
“There is money out there for definite. We’ve been busier this year than we have been for a long time. People are getting mortgages, because not only are we building, we’re selling too. It’s been a very positive year for us,” said Mr Casserly.