Cover story
T
he memory of John Clancy looms large over the company he founded and on which he left an indelible impression.
Ethos A carpenter by trade, John started out on his own as a local house builder in Tipperary 70 years ago this year. The ethos was strong and the family reputation that emerged over the following years was one of working in true partnership with sub-contractors, employees and, of course, clients. John’s firm hand steered the business for many years and, though he handed the running of the company over to his sons, Billy, Gerry and Pat in the early 1980s, true to form, he didn’t go into complete retirement. ‘I knew him for many years,’ says managing director, John O’Shaughnessy. ‘In his 80s, he still came in every day, taking a great interest in what jobs were on and what was happening in general.’ Billy, Gerry and Pat, played their part in moving the business forward.
ABOVE: L-R: Billy, Gerry, Pat, Aidan & Mark Clancy
Below: Left and right: Declan Fitzpatrick, Construction Director and Joe Bracken, Purchasing Manager, with the Clancy Interfirms Hurling jersey
1 4 | Construction Management | November/December 2017
By then, Clancy’s was a housebuilder, building its own private schemes and working for local authorities and on other projects. ‘Over the years they began getting into Main Contracting – which is where we are now,’ says John. ‘We do all kinds of construction projects, like working for public bodies such as the HSE and Department of Education, local authorities and other Government Departments, along with a variety of private projects.’ Today, Clancy’s are of course, one of the leading Main Contractors in Ireland – but they have also managed to maintain, and perhaps even accentuate, that special familycompany ethos that we seem to do
so well in Ireland across various industries. This much is evident from first arriving at the company offices adjacent to the original Clancy family house at Ballyluskey, near Thurles. The site is home to Clancy Construction and its sister company, Clancy Homes – run by Billy Clancy and his son Aidan – a separate entity but part of the group.
Connectedness As one would expect from the managing director, John O’Shaughnessy is keenly aware of what the company is all about, what the challenges of the market are and what the company needs to do in light of these, but there is somehow more than this at play here. It is that rare combination of world-class talent and efficiency mixed with all that is good about traditional family values. There is a real sense of connectedness to the wider industry here – and the obligations that this involves, a need to get involved, to engage, to play a truly meaningful part. Here, for example, CSR is more than a buzzword. ‘The WAY we do business is important,’ says John and this much is clear from the role that Clancy’s has played and continues to play in the industry. The track record, in other words, speaks for itself. It is about setting examples