The irish Post Building Britain 2015

Building Britain Summer 2015

21st Century Construction

Raising the roof with technology

The Art of Architecture

How the Irish in Britain are leading the way

THE DESIGN ISSUE £1.00 €1.20

www.irishpost.co.uk

THE CAREY GROUP IS A LEADING MULTIDISCIPLINED CONSTRUCTION AND RESOURCE RECOVERY GROUP, OPERATING ACROSS THE UK AND IRELAND. Careys’ ongoing success is derived from the talent and commitment of our employees.

We create a unique working environment where our employees and teams are encouraged to fulfil their potential, and continually seek new ways to deliver quality, value and client satisfaction.

To learn more about our unique capability visit www.careysplc.co.uk or join the conversation on

www.irishpost.co.uk First for News, Sport and Entertainment Building Britain

Issue 4

Contents

Leaving a Lasting Impression — Letter from the Editor .......................... Page 4 21st Century Construction — High-tech raises the roof ..................Pages 6-8 Iconic Buildings — Designs from across Britain ..................................Pages 10-13 Cultural Phoenix — New Irish centre for West London .....................Page 14-15 The Big Picture — Award-winning views of a powerhouse ............Pages 16-17 The Power of Networking — TLICN celebrates five years .............Pages 18-21 Building on Success — Irish architecture leads the way .............. Pages 23-24 Home Stretch — Ruislip gets a new lease of life ................................Pages 27-29 Finishing Touch — In the house with ceramic artist Maeve Sookram...Page 30 Contact us The Irish Post Tel: 00 44 20 8900 4159 Find us on Facebook.com/TheIrishPost

Architectural photographer Enda Cavanagh Page 16

Follow us on Twitter @theirishpost Connect with The Irish Post on LinkedIn Printed by Polestar Bicester Limited Published by The Irish Post, Suite A, 1 Lindsey Street, Smithfield, London EC1A9HP

The Olympicopolis project Page 4 Main image, London GAA Page 27

Editor: Siobhán Breatnach Contributors: Pádraig Belton, Fiona Audley, Nemesha Balasundaram, James Mulhall, Cian O’Connell Pictures: Malcolm McNally Production: Carl McMillan, Lawrence Forrest, Gerard Donaghy Advertising: Sarah Murphy, Katie Brown, Shane Creelman, Daniel Downer To advertise call: 00 44 20 8900 4195 or 00 44 20 8900 4137

www.irishpost.co.uk

190x128_Layout 1 13/05/2015 08:10 Page 1

We provide people, projects and services to the construction and rail industries

Our approach to business is built on partnership and collaboration.

08456 201201 or enq@vgcgroup.co.uk www.vgcgroup.co.uk 3

The Irish Post Celebrating 45 years as

Leaving a lasting impression

O

UR cover stars for this year’s Building Britain are Irish architectural duo O’Donnell and Tuomey, recipients of the prestigious Royal Gold Medal for 2015 from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

This special Design Issue is a nod to Ireland and its innovative design-makers who are basking in an international spotlight this year as part of Irish Design 2015, a Government-led campaign to bring the country’s creative capabilities to a global audience.

Having begun their careers in London with internationally renowned architects Stirling Wilford Associates and Colquhoun & Miller, Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey (pictured below) have been described as a “tour de force in Irish and British architecture”.

Just last month the pair were selected as part of the team — alongside Allies and Morrison — to design the Stratford Waterfront scheme, a key part of Olympicopolis in east London, an urban cultural quarter being built on the site of the 2012 Olympic Park.

“Cultural and educational buildings and the public realm have

been the critical purpose of our practice for more than 25 years,” they said of the project that will see new buildings for the V&A Museum, London College of Fashion and Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

“It feels like all our work has been leading towards this extraordinary commission. And we’re happy to be back again in London where we began our careers in architecture.”

The project is expected to generate nearly £2billion and create 3,000 new jobs.

Now riding what seems like an unstoppable crest of a wave (although John has previously joked “we’ve spent 25 years becoming an overnight success”) O’Donnell and Tuomey have also been attracting praise stateside, picking up the Arnold Brunner Memorial Prize from The American Academy of Arts and Letters in May. Co-founding their practice in Dublin in 1988 O’Donnell and Tuomey were part of the ‘Group 91 Architects’ who collectively masterplanned the regeneration of Dublin’s thenneglected Temple Bar. The area’s iconic Irish Film

Kylemore Services Ltd Specialist Building Services

Institute became their first permanent building, bringing them both profile and acclaim.

“The work of O’Donnell and Tuomey balances the hand and the heart,” says distinguished New York architect Billie Tsien. “Their buildings are beautifully conceived and beautifully made. Like reading the best poetry — they astound you in a quiet way.”

Those of us in Britain don’t have to go far to be astounded with their work here, which includes projects such as the London School of Economics Saw Swee Hock Student Centre (shortlisted for the 2014 RIBA Stirling Prize) and the red brick Photographers’ Gallery in Soho.

RIBA President Stephen Hodder describes O’Donnell and Toumey as being “at the vanguard of contemporary Irish architecture”.

And the pair are just as invested in futureproofing the industry they have each poured their heart and soul into, with both teaching the next generation of Irish designers at University College Dublin’s School of Architecture.

Irish Design 2015 will run for 12 months, but with talent such as O’Donnell and Toumey leading the way, awe-inspiring Irish design will continue to leave a lasting impression.

Siobhán Breatnach Editor Building Britain

Client satisfaction is the measure of our success and we aim to provide a first-class service, at the right price and on time.

Kylemore leading the way in understanding the needs of clients to achieve the best possible engineering solutions on major projects in London and the South East.

We have undertaken mechanical and plumbing expertise on many high profile projects such as The Shard, Westfield Stratford and The Olympic Stadium and are currently involved with Battersea Power Station redevelopment and West Ham Stadium redevelopment.

www.kylemore.co.uk 4

Address: Kylemore Services Limited Heron House 109 Wembley Hill Road Wembley, Middlesex HA9 8DA Contact: Michael Quinn or Eamon Lynam michaelq@kylemore.co.uk eamonl@kylemore.co.uk

TEL:020 8795 1083

rs as the voice of the Irish in Britain 40+ YEARS SERVICE TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The company founded in 1972 has expanded its portfolio of services from skip hire to provide enabling works and recycled materials to facilitate the development and refurbishment process. Facilities in London and Essex provide a 'Zero-to-Landfill' solution for all construction waste streams.

    

Skip Hire Materials Recycling Demolition Ready-Mixed Concrete Washed Recycled Aggregates

 Wheelie Bins  Compactors  Site Clearance  Muck Away  Grab Lorries

0845 548 5500 | info@mcgrathgroup.co.uk | www.mcgrathgroup.co.uk

www.irishpost.co.uk Building

High-tech raises the roof in construction

6

your Irish community online Construction in the 21st century Report by Pádraig Belton

A

T half five every Monday, Seán Daly gets up in Clare, drives to Shannon, and flies to London to be at work by nine. There he runs a home-automation business with 80 employees, where in common with much of the building sector, business is booming.

Then on Friday evening, he departs at 5pm, and by nine is home again.

“The big limitation now for us and for most companies is people — there just aren’t enough employees here,” he says. “Right now as of this instant, we could definitely take 10 electricians; if we got 15, we’d just take them.”

Daly is one of the founding directors of the London Irish Construction Network, which he says began five years ago “from a bunch of us travelling to Ireland every weekend, all meeting up at the airport, and helping each other.”

He then utters that rare sentence, ‘God bless Ryanair.’

Maybe the Irish builder for a century and more has been a stock character of English drama — think O’Reilly in Fawlty Towers — but now he has gone increasingly high-tech. And so has the market.

NEW HORIZONS: The hackneyed image of the Irish builder is now out of date

eGaff Take home automation. Five years ago, says Daly, these were devices only being put into extremely high-value properties. Last year, he says, you saw it in the midrange.

“Where before you had electrical switches, sockets, and lights as expected features, you now have sound systems and wifi,” he says.

The cost of home-automation devices has been on the decrease.

And their modular nature has let buyers install lighting and alarm systems now which are happy to speak to your mobile and iPad, while leaving open the option of adding security cameras and speakers and woofers later.

Continued over➧

Driving sustainability – Delivering excellence

Your multi-award winning waste management company our services... skip hire rolonofs tipper lorries grab loaders waste collection

waste transfer stations

aggregates

recycled aggregates

demolition

road sweepers

plant hire

7

The Irish Post The essential part of y Generationally, too, younger homebuyers are increasingly technologically savvy — once they are able to make their leap on to the ladder.

The tech giants have all bet on this trend, with Google nailing down start-up Nest Labs, which makes WiFi thermostats and smoke detectors, for $3.2bn (£2.2bn, €3bn) last year.

Amazon’s Echo, not content being a voiceoperator speaker, now has aspirations to be a home hub.

One spanner in the works is a war banging on between rival nascent protocols for wireless, smart home gadgets — ZigBee and the new but rapidly growing Z-Wave are two.

Google’s ‘Works with Nest’, or Thread, protocol is a third.

And Apple’s Siri-controlled HomeKit, delayed slightly in release, will have only limited operability with these competing protocols.

Each wants to take over your home (automation).

Google gloats your car soon will warn your Nest thermostat when you’re nearing home, so it will heat your house; your connected Whirlpool will defer drying until then, to keep your washing wrinkle-free.

Apple, allying with the likes of Honeywell and Philips, has meanwhile been touting its ‘scenes’.

So you might tell Siri to ‘get ready for bed’, and obediently it will lower your thermostat, switch off your lights, and lock fast your door.

Not bad considering it can’t now tell a decent joke.

Wrenching Times In nuts and bolts, 2013 was the year new home builds came back. New orders grew nearly 40 per cent.

Oddly, construction has wobbled somewhat in recent months, even as house prices gather momentum. The average British home has gained £12,000 in value in the last year.

The Office of National Statistics have shown all areas of construction activity down slightly since February, though home construction is holding up best.

Analysts attribute this dip to a deferring of spending decisions to after the elections, dearths of credit — and shortages of skilled labour of the sort Séan Daly describes.

And the increasing prominence of home automation and other building tech ratchets up the skill level required from constructors, and means more work for those possessing it.

‘It’s almost to the point now you get a CV from a guy and he’s not working, it flashes alarm bells and you wonder why, because there’s loads of jobs out there,’ Daly says.

The British Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index also shows those in the sector at their most optimistic in nine years.

Citing full order books and a deep pool of invitations to tender, the construction firms seem certain sparks will fly.

8

❛ The increasing prominence of home automation and other building tech ratchets up the skill level required from constructors, and mean more work for those possessing it ❜ Meanwhile there are roughly 100,000 workers in Ireland formerly in the construction sector, now unemployed.

This despite a startling recent statement from the Taoiseach that though in Ireland’s boom years 80,000-100,000 homes were built annually when the need was for 30,000, the same need now is met by 6,000 each year.

The result of these unbuilt houses for Dublin has been a 21.6 per cent year-on-year rise in property prices, with Dalkey outpacing Dulwich and Downtown Manhattan in that figure at the end of last year.

So look for more people on the 7am Monday morning Ryanair flights.

Hammering Away Sitting in the shadow of the Shard, Waterfordborn John Leahy is managing director of Zutec.

He says construction is moving towards having all a building’s manuals, certificates, and technical information in one place online.

This instead of in a series of manuals. And the manual for each part is automatically kept up to date electronically by its maker.

“It’s very green”, Mr Leahy points out.

The same Building Information Modelling, or BIM, database can then be used throughout the building’s life cycle, by the people charged with maintaining it.

Pointing out at The Shard next door and scrolling through its asset register, he says: “I can tell you all about that building just sitting here.

“We don’t have to move — this is where modern technology is, and where we have to be.”

Along with The Shard, Leahy’s projects recently have included Terminal 3 at Dublin Airport, Wembley Stadium, and the new News Building in London Bridge.

He attributes his breadth of clients to being at the cutting edge of technology, “one of the only companies, if not the only company, that delivers a total BIM solution in one portal.”

He works frequently with Dan Deery, who set up the 3d THE MODERN WORLD: John Leahy’s Zutec brought a ‘green’ and hi-tech approach to The Shard

modelling and visualisation firm Siscín in 2013.

Deery travels frequently between Castlebar and many parts of Britain, and the company’s brochure is in English and Irish.

Clients of the two firms can scroll through a virtual representation of a building, click on parts which are visible or hidden behind walls, and instantly bring up schematics, service histories, and manuals.

A handy trick to be able to do on a tablet, if you’re looking for a busted pipe. And easier to tot around than a stack of binders.

A former draughtsman, often in the oil sector, he says a good bit of his work is also teaching other architecture and construction firms how to use the new BIM technology.

“You won’t be able to get involved with a Government tender from 2016 on unless you’re delivering your construction through this process,” he says of new standards coming in for Government contractors.

A benefit, too, of the new modelling technologies is that it assists in communicating both within design teams and with the clients and public.

“I realised a problem with the construction industry is it wasn’t very good at communicating, getting ideas across,” he says. “And then you can’t make decisions about what’s going on, or if there are problems.”

Though his company has made a name out of incorporating technology in construction, he says it poses its challenges, too.

“The challenge is trying to keep abreast of it, so we have to assess technology, and say can we use it within our work flow, to help our clients,” he says.

“The cost of technology is quite expensive as well,” he adds.

He speaks frequently about opportunities in the building-tech sector in colleges around Ireland. Mature students, he says, are in particular valuable if they already bring with them experience on sites.

Frank O’Hare, a Cavan native, is director of Doveguard Construction. He also is director of the London Irish Construction Network.

Like Deery, he is effusive about the vibrance of construction in London at the moment. Both use the phrase “strength to strength” to characterise the London market.

On the Irish side, in Dublin, he says. “There is a massive massive shortage of three to four bedroom family houses, an oversupply probably of flats, so if they’re building family homes, they’re making silly money now.’

He goes on to add: “Galway’s really booming, Cork definitely, and parts of Kerry — Tralee and Killarney are always busy, busy towns, Killarney super busy because of tourist facillities around there.”

And though the direction of skilled work in his sector has largely been towards a booming Britain, he is hopeful about the Irish market, and sees “quite a lot of positive changes.”

He talks of houses left unbuilt during the downturn now being finished off, “landscaping, walls, just finishing them off nicely — I noticed a lot of that last summer.”

It’s now 35 years on from Fawlty Towers.

The Irish builder now has an engineering doctorate. And he’s laughing.

your business week, in stores Wednesday

Building Contractors & Civil Engineers

O’HALLORAN & O’BRIEN LTD Tel: 020 8337 5527 Celebrating

in business

www.ohob.com 9

www.irishpost.co.uk First for Ne

Iconic buildings

SLEEK: Fielden St Thomas, adjacent to The Shard, in London will be completed in 2018

RURAL ROOTS: With its timber facade, The Bob Champion Research and Education Building at the University of East Anglia’s Medical School, is inspired by farm buildings Pic: Gareth Gardener

Design Report by Nemesha Balasundaram

A

library, school and theatre may be viewed as buildings of purpose and simplicity to most of us.

But the innovative and visionary minds behind some of Britain’s most iconic projects of the past 12 months prove that there is a deeper philosophy behind the bricks and mortar.

Ranging from Norwich’s clinical research facility to London’s new sky rise residential tower, these buildings are aimed at transforming the way we live and educate ourselves.

Here, we highlight several of the most creative and inspiring buildings that have and that are set to challenge our perceptions of those that we encounter in our daily lives.

Building Britain: Norwich The University of East Anglia’s Medical School aims to become a ‘world-leader’ in clinical research and teaching thanks to its new timber-clad building.

The Bob Champion Research and Education Building, farm-inspired and built around an open courtyard, houses a lecture theatre, clinical skills suites and extensive laboratories.

Taking just over a year to construct, the impressive £12.5million structure was completed and opened to students in November 2014.

Rebecca Wharry, project architect at Hawkins\ Brown, says: “We are proud to play a part in Continued over

10

or News, Sport and Entertainment DESIGN

BUILD

OPERATION

MAINTENANCE

REHABILITATION

DESIGN

BUILD

OPERATION

MAINTENANCE

REHABILITATION

COMPLETING THE WATER CYCLE

A NEW STANDARD

COMPLETING THE WATER CYCLE www.glanagua.com www.glanagua.com

www.meicltd.com A NEW STANDARD www.meicltd.com

Domestic & Non-Domestic Water Metering Raw Water Abstraction Domestic & Non-Domestic WaterFacilities Metering Water Treatment Water Abstraction WastewaterRaw Treatment Facilities Water Treatment Facilities Water Distribution Networks Wastewater Treatment Facilities Sewage Distribution Networks Water Distribution Networks Sludge Management and Treatment SewageMaintenance Distribution Networks Conditional Service Sludge Management and Treatment Conditional Maintenance Service

www.mota-engil.com www.mota-engil.com

Civil Engineering, Design and Build Road Construction & Realignment Works Civil Engineering, Bridge ConstructionDesign and Build Road Construction & Realignment WorksWorks Bulk Excavations, Earthworks & Enabling Bridge&Construction Marine Water Works Bulk & Excavations, Earthworks & Enabling Works Water Wastewater Marine &Civils Water Works Specialist Water &and Wastewater Pipelines Reservoirs Specialist Civils Pipelines and Reservoirs

2 Fountain Court, Victoria Square, St Albans, AL1 3TF. Tel: +44 (0)1727 884664 e-mail: info@glanagua.com

93-95 Greenford Road Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3QF Tel: 020 8426 4944

www.jcoffey.co.uk

Construction – Rail – Plant 11

The Irish Post Celebrating 45 years as creating fulfilling places of work and learning for people who are pioneering in their field and the BCRE project was no exception.”

Built by contractors, RG Carter, it will pave the way for researchers to find new treatments for various diseases.

BY THE BOOK: Oxford University’s Weston Library has upgraded its facilities without compromising the building’s character Pic: James Brittain

Building Britain: Oxford Home to some of the nation’s most important literary jewels, the renovation of Oxford University’s Weston Library was a significant undertaking.

❛ Our vision was to create a cultural landmark for the University, which preserves and restores the best of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s original design whilst breathing new life into the space and accommodating 21st Century working methods ❜ At a cost of £80million, the refurbishment transformed the 1930s designed, formerly named New Bodleian, into a modern day, multi-purpose, library.

The Grade Il listed building — part of the University’s Bodleian Library — has upgraded its facilities without compromising the building’s charming, historic character.

“Our vision was to create a cultural landmark for the University, which preserves and restores the best of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s original design whilst breathing new life into the space and accommodating 21st Century working methods,” says Jim Eyre, OBE, Director at Wilkinson Eyre.

Opened to the public in 2015, the renovated building offers high quality storage for its valuable collections and the creation of new exhibition galleries.

Building Britain: Manchester A building’s structure and design is often tailored to accommodate the people that it serves.

FUN AND FUNCTIONAL: The Uppingham School’s new Science Centre in Leicester aims to invigorate students and staff Pic: Kilian O’Sullivan

12

This rings true for Manchester Metropolitan University’s Student Union that houses a rich interior against a textured graphite and red brick exterior.

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios’ idea was for the £7.5million structure to reflect the union’s importance as a cultural building and to promote students’ creativity.

“It’s modern, vibrant and relevant to the lifestyle of our members,” says Matthew Robinson, the union’s Chief Executive.

“FCB’s holistic design allows students to flex the entire building to support an endless variety of activity, ensuring every student can see The Union as ‘a place for people like me’.”

Completed last autumn, the union boasts a myriad of crafted metal and tile work, and includes a main hall, bar, recreation studios, a shop and meeting and office spaces.

Building Britain: London A sleek residential tower adjacent to The Shard

rs as the voice of the Irish in Britain

will complete the ‘Trilogy’ of buildings designed to boost the urban regeneration of London Bridge.

The future vision of creating an enticing gateway to historic Southwark is progressing further after RPBW were appointed by Sellar Property Group to orchestrate the project.

Whilst planning permission was approved in November, the estimated costs of the project have not been disclosed at this stage.

The construction of Fielden St Thomas will follow the completion of The Shard, which prompted the redevelopment of the station, and The Place, an innovate and attractive public space.

Set to be completed in 2018, Fielden St Thomas will “create new spaces, generous and well proportioned, providing views and connections to the courtyards,” according to RPBW. “Our ambition is to build upon the adventure we started with The Shard and complete our vision for the London Bridge Quarter.”

Building Britain: Leicester Fun and animation are key themes of Uppingham School’s new Science Centre.

Designed by architecture firm Orms, the structure is a celebration of science that aims to invigorate the pupils and staff who work within its walls.

The £14million project, delivered by contractors Bowmer and Kirkland, uses the open planned interior and glass walls to create a seamless flow of exploration for its users.

Opened in November 2014, Orms’ ethos for the building was “to open up science to all, and facilitate links with other academic and extracurricular pursuits.”

Building Britain: Sussex Theatres are spacious, inspiring and captivating spaces, and Chichester’s very own offering is no different.

Completed last July, Grade II listed Chichester Festival Theatre underwent a major restoration.

A remodeled auditorium and back of house extension are just two of the changes that Haworth Tompkins delivered as part of the theatre’s £13million facelift.

Excavation Support Systems 8 Depots Nationwide

In-house Design Service

In-house Manufacturing

Own Transport Fleet

Major Projects

Bespoke & Hybrid Solutions

Safe Installation Guidance

ISOQAR Accredited

Equipment Sales

Tel: 01942 402700 www.mgf.ltd.uk

Commitment • Innovation • Sustainability

13

www.irishpost.co.uk Building

ON BOARD: New centre general manager Collette Mackin and chairman of the Board of Management Jim O’Hara on site at the Centre development Picture: Malcolm McNally

The cultural phoenix From builders’ rubble rises a new Irish centre for London New cultural centre for West London Report by James Mulhall

T

HIS year marks 20 years since the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, West London, opened its doors to the Irish community around Britain.

Over the course of this time, the centre has been a hive of activity — with everything from education to music taking place inside the building.

Now, as it celebrates its landmark birthday, it is in the process of a major £4.5million refurbishment and looks set to remain a part of the Irish community here for generations to come.

“The centre is a huge addition to the Irish community not only in London but in Britain generally,” said Jim O’Hara, chairman of the Board of Management at the centre. “We’ve bought the site, bought the building and built the building — and that’s been a major achievement — so now we want to kit out the building.”

The site’s freehold was bought for £1.5million — with a further £3million invested in the construction.

Now, O’Hara and the team at the centre are looking to raise a further £643,000 to fit out the inside of the building with brand new facilities.

While the centre remains surrounded by scaffolding, the day-to-day activities have not taken a break.

14

Several venues in Hammersmith have been hired so that the Irish community can still stay involved with all that the centre does until it reopens.

One such venue is St Paul’s — just across the road from the centre itself.

Here, Brendan Mulkere teaches music.

“I’ve been with the Centre for 15 years and teach music to everyone from fiveyear-olds to the upper reaches,” he explains. “There can be up to 35 in a class and we separate them based on their abilities as opposed to their ages.”

DRAWING INSPIRATION: An architect’s projection of the new Irish Cultural Centre

your Irish community online The reason behind this, Mulkere explains, is that there is an increasing number of adults who want to try their hand at a traditional Irish instrument — and he encourages all parents to get involved alongside their children.

Though it is just one aspect of Irish culture that the centre offers, music helps those living in Britain to stay in touch with their Irish roots.

“The centre is a powerhouse for the Irish community,” Mulkere says. “It makes them more interested in Ireland — with music, the students want to follow up on stories of the music, of Ireland and where they have come from.”

“If people want somewhere to go to socialise with Irish people, they might not want to go to the pub — which might not always suit a family — so it’s fantastic to have a facility like this here where the Irish community can come together.”

Progress has been moving steadily since work on the refurbishment began in 2012 — though the opening date has been pushed back to early next year.

But with the building almost complete, things are moving forward for the staff and members of the centre in Hammersmith.

“We need about another £600,000,” said Collette Mackin, the centre’s new General Manager. “

❛ We are future-proofing an amazing resource in Central London for the Irish in Britain – and we want to do the best we can ❜

NEW BUILD: Artist’s impression of the completed Irish Cultural Centre project in Hammersmith That money will go towards fitting out the centre.

We are very excited to get all the users and new users together in the new facilities.”

Part-funded by the Irish Government, the Irish Cultural Centre also relies on the generosity of the Irish community in Britain — something Mackin highlighted.

“There’s a lot of support out there already and we would encourage anyone who wants to support the centre, financially or in the fit out, to do so,” she said. “We are future-proofing an

amazing resource in Central London for the Irish in Britain – and we want to do the best we can.”

The end is in sight now — Collette Mackin and her team expects to have the keys for the new building by the end of the year, with a view to an official opening in Spring 2016.

“I won’t give away any names just yet, but we will have significant figures from Ireland and the Irish community here on hand to help us celebrate the opening,” she says.

Helping you build a successful business Evans Mockler are a long established and dynamic firm of Chartered Certified Accountants and Registered Auditors. We specialise in both the construction industry and the property sector and a large proportion of our clients are first and second generation Irish.

We are business and tax advisors and recognise that our clients require more than just annual compliance. We understand the many challenges that businesses face, particularly within the construction industry. We work closely with our clients to ensure that they overcome these challenges and achieve their goals.

Kindly contact Martin Mockler, Mike Evans or Simon Toghill on 020 8449 9632 if you would like to discuss our range of services and to find out how Evans Mockler can help you build your business.

elp you build your business.

www.evansmockler.co.uk 15

The Irish Post The essential part of y

The big picture Award-winning views from inside a business powerhouse In the frame Pictures by Enda Cavanagh

C

O. DUBLIN-based Enda Cavanagh is an award-winning professional architectural and landscape photographer.

Growing up in rural Ireland and having worked for over 16 years in architecture he looks to ‘reflect the inherent drama and melancholy of the Irish landscape’ in his work.

16

Pictured above is one his striking images from inside the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, which was part of Enda Cavanagh’s winning portfolio for the 2015 Irish Professional Photographer’s Association Awards in the commercial category.

The image was also picked to be a finalist in the FEP Professional Photographer of the Year, again in the commercial category.

Enda was also a finalist and the only person to represent Ireland, in the World Photographic Cup with this second image, right, also from inside the Guinness Storehouse.

your business week, in stores Wednesday Office Supplies

Printing

Promotional Products Construction Products

Office Furniture

I just love these pens from CARA

Golf Merchandise Business Machines

Contact: 0208 4278424 www.carastationery.co.uk

Specialist Suppliers to the Construction Industry

UE !

LO OW TA N A C LE EE LAB R F AI AV G

LONDON SITE DELIVERY EXPERTS

NEXT DAY DELIVERY OF FASTENERS, FIXINGS & TOOLS Olds Approach, Tolpits Lane, Watford, Herts, WD18 9XT

17

www.irishpost.co.uk First for

Let’s celebrate...

Irish Ambassador Dan Mulhall and Minister for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan TD are pictured earlier this year with seven Westminster MPs whose fathers were all Irish navvies. LtoR: Paul Farrelly, Mike Kane, Chris Ruane, Siobhán McDonagh, Pat McFadden, Kevin Brennan and Jack Dromey Buy this photo DSC_6059

Out and About Pictures by Malcolm McNally What: Celebration of Construction in London Who: Dr Alasdair McDonnell, Minister for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan TD, Irish Ambassador Dan Mulhall Where: Terrace Marquee, Houses of Parliament

TLICN founders Con O’Sullivan, Niall O’Dowd and Frank O’Hare Picture: Malcolm McNally

Sandy Donnelly and Maureen O’Regan Buy this photo DSC_6048

London Irish Construction Network Report by Fiona Audley

W

Clodagh and Niall O’Dowd from OD Formwork and Róisín Lynch from the SDLP Buy this photo DSC_6090

Irvine Sellar from the Sellar Property Group, Liz Shanahan from IIBN and Don O’Sullivan from Galliard Homes Buy this photo DSC_6083

Irish Ambassador Dan Mulhall is pictured centre with Dr Alasdair McDonnell and Joe Byrne Buy this photo DSC_6078

Irish Minister for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan TD Buy this photo DSC_6072

HEN The London Irish Construction Network was founded five years ago they set themselves a number of goals.

First and foremost they wanted to create a forum where Irish people working in the construction industry in Britain could share information about contracts and business opportunities.

They also wanted to hold an event at the House of Commons which acknowledged explicitly the powerful and important contribution of the Irish to the construction sector within this country.

Elsewhere on their wish list was the hope of securing Irish construction magnate Ray O’Rourke as a keynote speaker for one of their regular events.

And as they passed the five year mark last month – having been officially founded on May 25, 2010 – they could proudly claim to have hit two out of those three targets already.

While they have yet to secure the presence of Mr O’Rourke – the Irishman at the head of the global construction giant Laing O’Rourke – at one of their networking evenings, the organisation has seen great success in everything else it has set its mind to in the past half-decade.

Earlier this year, as they made a start on celebrations for their fifth anniversary, they held Continued over➧

18

News, Sport and Entertainment

The power of networking

19

The Irish Post Celebrating 45 years

Making a TLICN connection

Among those giving a five minute pitch were Eileen Sugrue from the 2015 Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle and Bernard McLeod from Ventry Bay Ltd

Pictured are members of the London Irish Town Planners (LITP) – Seamus Carey, James Donlon, Ed Barrett, Killian Harrington, Alan Hannify and Brian Coughlan

Out and About

Networking in full flow

Pictures by Malcolm McNally

TLICN Chair Frank O’Hare, right, with Gerry Keany from Cara Stationery and Bridgeen Stone from Metrobank

What: The London Irish Construction Network (TLICN) networking evening Who: Joe Cunnane, Senior Partner of Cunnane Town Planning Where: Park Plaza County Hall Hotel, London Cathal Brady from Ultan Technologies and Robert O’Sullivan and Mark Heaney from the London Borough of Lambeth

PLANNING THE CUNNANE WAY Cunnane Town Planning was established in 1985 by Joe Cunnane and have offices in London, Manchester and Ireland. Their clients include nationally known developers, housebuilders, landowners and local authorities for whom they have been very successful in securing planning permissions.

Keynote speaker Joe Cunnane, Senior Partner of Cunnane Town Planning

20

Robert Higgins from EDC Consultants, Jerry Cronin from Malachy Walsh and Partners, Luis Garcia (EDC) and Steven Curran (Malachy Walsh)

Mary Daly, Kate Leahy and Tara Shevlin from Allied Irish Bank with Gerry Gallen and Paul Tarrant from Selsdon Building Contractors

as the voice of the Irish in Britain a hugely successful networking event in Westminster.

There, just as they had hoped in their early days of operation, a range of MPs – many the sons and daughters of the Irish navvies who blazed the success in construction trail in Britain many decades previously - joined them to celebrate their achievements and that of the community at large.

“The House of Commons was a fantastic event for us,” TLICN co-founder Frank O’Hare told The Irish Post.

“We worked hard to get there and when we got there it all fell into place very well. We are proud to have achieved that in what is a milestone year for us, five years down the line.”

He added: “When we set the TLICN up we also set a few targets for ourselves. One of those was to have an event at the House of Commons, so to be there this year and get that recognition for our network, and also for the Irish community at large, was a very proud moment for us.

“Another goal was to have Ray O’Rourke as a keynote speaker at some stage – we haven’t succeeded in that yet but we are confident we’ll still get there.”

While the TLICN’s regular networking events – which largely take place at the Park Plaza County Hall Hotel in London – consistently attract a high level of speaker, and at least 100 of their 170-strong membership base, their success can also be measured by the impact their gatherings are having for their members.

“When we first set up the network we were a

group of five men who met regularly on the commute from Ireland to Britain for work each week,” O’Hare admits.

“We started getting together to pass on information about new contracts and jobs and things like that, but we would also have a pie and a pint, as they say.

❛ They are people you might be surprised to hear is a member of a construction network, but they are connected and the more diverse the network is professionally, the more value it brings to all of out members ❜ “Soon we started introducing our clients to each other and realised then that we had connected up about 30 people and that there was potential there to expand what we were doing into something a bit more formal.”

With a year of planning behind them the five founding members – Frank O’Hare, Danny Fealy, Con O’ Sullivan, Niall O’Dowd and Sean Daly – launched the TLICN on May 25, 2010.

“We held an event and it was packed, as every event since has been, and we soon saw there was a massive need for an Irish construction network here, a need that has remained over many years,” O’Hare explains.

“But rather than it being a group that people

would use as somewhere to get a start, we kept the network on more of a professional level.

“It did provide an opportunity to share information about jobs and contracts, however, which has often proved very valuable for our members, and now we find that we have all sorts of companies, which have some connection with the industry, on our membership list.”

He added: “Different companies come for different things, of course, but we also have bankers, solicitors and lawyers at our events these days.

“They are people you might be surprised to hear is a member of a construction network, but they are connected and the more diverse the network is professionally, the more value it brings to all of our members.”

With four of the founding members still leading the TLICN – Danny Fealy has left the ranks as he has since resettled back in Ireland – the organisation plans to continue to embrace the organic changes that come as the group develops further in the coming years.

Their membership will continue to change, grow and strengthen with every new member – which is “vital” to keep the network fresh, according to O’Hare - but there are a couple of things that remain the same as they were five years ago.

The first is their membership fee – as a year’s subscription to the TLICN costs just £145, as it did when they launched in 2010.

The other is their desire to give their members an audience with Ray O’Rourke, which is now top of the TLICN agenda for 2015.

UNUSED/RECLAIMED PAVING PRODUCTS BY Granite Sets

Granite Sets 100 x 200 x 100 300 = 1 Ton Bag = 15m2 £200.00 per ton bag

Various Block Paving Products

Various Block Paving Products Marshall, Mistral, Charcoal, Perfecta

Various Concrete Paving Slabs

450x450mm 600x600mm 900x600mm

Concrete Kerbs

Concrete Kerbs Various Sizes

York Stone

York Stone (Crazy Paving)

Various Granite Kerbs

Straights and Bends

For a full listing, please email your enquiry to info@titantools.biz or telephone 08447766600. Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 08:00am – 17:30pm You can also visit our warehouse and yard to view at Titan Group: Thomond House, Beacon Hill Ind Estate, Botany Way, Purfleet, Essex, RM19 1SR All prices are subject to +VAT at 20% minimum orders do apply and prices are based on collection from our premises Purfleet

21

www.irishpost.co.uk Building KINGDOM WORKSHOPS LIMITED Artic Bulk Hire Sharvel Lane Off West End Road, Northolt, Middlesex UB5 6RB Tel: 020 8839 9933 Fax: 020 8845 3353 Mobile: 07970 637000 Email: kingdomlworkshop@btconnect.com | kennedyhaulage@btconnect.com

TRUCK MAINTENANCE, SERVICING, REPAIRS & MOT’s

 �

� � � � � � � � � �� � � � � � ­ ° € ‚ ° ‚ ‚ ° ƒ �   ° „ … ° † ‡ € ° …ˆ„ ‰ † Š …‹  Œ � Ž � ‘†

Š ’

 � �

22

your Irish community online

Building on success Irish design is leading the way in architecture Planning the future Report by Siobhán Breatnach

W

ITH a hunger to succeed in one of the toughest markets in the world, fuelled by a growing technology sector, Irish architects have being quietly rising to the top of Britain’s construction echelons.

By design rather than accident, architects from Ireland have taken the lead in everything from ground-breaking public service projects to London’s booming residential developments.

Names such as O’Donnell and Tuomey – the 2015 recipients of the world’s most prestigious award in architecture, the RIBA Royal Gold Medal – have now become synonymous with success.

This year has been designated the Year of Design by the Irish Government and Britain has not been overlooked for a refresher course on

the best the country has to offer.

Ireland features at large in this year’s London Festival of Architecture — a celebration of architectural experimentation, thinking and practice — taking place throughout June.

It will play host to New Horizon, the first of three events, which will present the work of 10 emerging Irish practices internationally.

Both boutique and larger Irish firms are now competing with world-class companies according to John Hunt, a Senior Advisor for the British Construction Sector with Enterprise Ireland.

“If we look back over the last five or six years, the environment which architects have been working within has been extremely tough, both at home and in the UK,” he says. “There’s been a lot of pressure to differentiate and add value.

“It’s been a tough market, London in particular is an international market for design services.

“You’re not just competing with British companies, you’re competing with companies

from all over the world. It’s a tough place to differentiate what you can do. But the companies that have, you really take your hat off to them.”

With companies such as Heneghan Peng (recent winners of a RIBA London award for the University of Greenwich Stockwell Street Building) and Grafton Architects being recognised in international competitions for their designs, to the likes of RKD Architects and Scott Tallon Walker bringing engineering design and architecture seamlessly together, the Irish impact has been immense.

Scott Tallon Walker, who have offices in Ireland, Britain and the Middle East, are presently working on a £250million cancer hospital and Proton Beam Therapy Centre at University College Hospital London.

With British patients who require PBT (a new form of radiotherapy cancer treatment) Continued over➧

NEW HORIZON: Yellow Pavillion

by Hall McKnight Architects CAMPAIGNER: Former President of RIBA and Director of Brady Mallalieu Architects, Angela Brady, below

23

The Irish Post The essential part of y We built this city A lively panel discussion about the impact the Irish have had on the physical and cultural development of London, from historic to contemporary times. We Built This City is presented by the Irish Architecture Foundation in collaboration with Irish Design 2015 and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

When: June 30 from 6.30pm Where: Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA Booking: www.architecturefoundation.ie currently being sent for treatment to the US and Switzerland, the new London unit will eventually treat 750 patients a year, as well as providing 165 new patient beds for specialist cancer treatment.

“It’s a first in Britain, it’s advanced technology,” Enterprise Ireland’s John Hunt says. “One of the big changes in the last five to seven years has been the adoption of digital technologies to improve outcomes, performance and efficiency.”

Today all eyes are on digital design, engineering and Building Information Modelling (BIM) – something firms such as Coady Partnership, Scott Tallon Walker and RKD have embraced.

“They would really be leading that growth and drive internationally through their adoption of digital technologies,” he adds. “That’s very exciting. They’re hungry and adopting very quickly and successfully.

“BIM enables work in 3D, so where it’s always been flat and two dimensional, this is now the ability to work in three dimension, which helps to coordinate and plan space better. So for the clients it’s a real representation, a walk through their building rather a drawing. It’s really taking the industry forward. The UK Government are mandating BIM from 2016 for all Government procurement projects, so that’s really sped things up.”

With the lack of large-scale projects like the Olympics and with Crossrail now well-progressed, Irish firms today are staking a claim in key areas such as biosciences manufacturing, renewable energy and prime residential markets in Britain.

“What came out of Ireland during the Celtic Tiger and pre-recession was some real efficiency, process and design around residential projects,” Hunt says. “A lot of those skills have been very useful within the UK and particularly London’s apartment development and boom with firms like Brady Mallalieu.

“Ireland will also be well placed in building UK infrastructure, roads, rail, airports — these kind of areas where Irish firms have historically and continue to this day to make a big contribution.

UK investment in infrastructure, for the next five or six years, has been mapped out by the Treasury and looks to be an area of growth and opportunity for Irish companies. And tech will help to enable this,” he adds. “Years ago it was building roads, we’re now doing lots of higher engineering and design and going forward we’ll be enabling technologies and software that makes it all work.”

And making it work is what Angela Brady, Director of London-based Brady Mallalieu Architects, is all about.

Originally from Dublin, Brady has established

24

herself as a well-known media personality and has a new four-part series on Irish architecture and design currently in production with RTÉ, due to air in September.

Having worked on projects such as Mastmaker Road’s award-winning 200 homes initiative for Ballymore on the Isle of Dogs, as well as housing projects for the Murphy Group, the Irish connection has proved a winning formula.

“We have a great trust and understanding of Irish developers, we all do our best as a team to really make a good building,” she says. “I like working with Irish/UK teams because they are successful and do a good job. They are also fun to work with.”

But there are challenges too.

“Procurement is the biggest challenge for small to medium sized firms like ourselves, who have experience, talent and ability to do some great projects — but rules of procurement give advantages to the larger firms who do not do a better job but have higher than necessary Indemnity cover and turnover. Luckily some decent clients realise this,” she adds.

A former President of RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Brady has recently published a book, The British Papers, featuring a selection

❛ ...we are not building monuments to ourselves as architects but working to make the best living conditions for today in homes and schools that will stand the test of time ❜ of essays from people she considers to be leaders in British architecture and urban design.

“I would like to do The Irish Papers next,” she says. “It’s all about collaboration and sharing knowledge.”

A graduate of DIT Bolton Street’s School of Architecture, Brady arrived in London in the recession-hit early ’80s via a postgraduate scholarship in Copenhagen and a year working for an architect’s firm in Toronto.

She set up Brady Mallalieu Architects in 1987 with husband Robin Mallalieu.

“I always say good design costs no more money than bad design and that we are not building monuments to ourselves as architects but working to make the best living conditions for today in homes and schools that will stand the test of time,” she says.

“I have always been a campaigner, whether for having more women in our profession or saving much loved buildings, from Wood Quay in Dublin to Preston Bus station if it’s worth saving I’ll stick up for it.”

The Dubliner recently joined a celebrated panel of experts at a Royal Institute of Architects Ireland (RIAI) hosted exhibition focusing on current Irish architecture in Britain at the Vision Exhibition in London’s Olympia.

Also taking part was architect Niall McLaughlin.

Born in Switzerland, educated in Ireland and now London-based, this former Young British Architect of the Year (1998) has just picked up a RIBA London Award for Peabody Housing’s Darbishire Place in Whitechapel.

An affordable housing building, it completes a group of six housing blocks and is a

reinterpretation of the traditional five-storey mansion block paying homage to open staircases and balconies.

When asked how the Irish are contributing to the architectural industry in Britain, McLaughlin says: “Substantially. Many of the best Irish practices are building in London at the moment.”

Having just completed a visiting professorship at Yale University, he is now back to work on a number of projects with one at the Natural History Museum in London deemed to be ‘very interesting and special’.

Partnering with Kim Wilkie, the Irishman is working to create a new public space within the museum, which is visited by five million people per year.

“We are also just approaching completion on the new T1 Building at London’s Kings Cross for Argent,” he adds. “It contains a low carbon energy centre, an indoor sports centre, a car park for the whole district, shops, cafes, restaurants and all kinds of housing — from social rented to homes for older people to huge penthouses. It is like a miniature city!”

With events planned throughout the year in Britain, Irish Design 2015 (ID2015) will allow people here to see first-hand the calibre of creativity flowing from Ireland.

“The aim of Irish Design 2015 is to bring visibility to Ireland’s dynamic design businesses, supporting them in trading in competitive foreign markets and ultimately creating jobs at home,” says Ged Nash, Irish Minister of State for Business and Employment.

The New Horizon project, debuting at the London Festival of Architecture in June as part of ID2015, has drawn inspiration from the history of contemporary Irish architecture.

Amid that history is Group 91, eight firms who worked together in the early 90s on the regeneration of Dublin’s Temple Bar district.

Many of those architects — including Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey — have since gone on to enjoy significant international careers.

Curated by Raymund Ryan, individuals and firms taking part in New Horizon include TAKA, Clancy Moore, Hall McKnight, Steve Larkin, GKMP, A2, Ryan Kennihan, AP+E, Urban Agency and Emmett Scanlon.

A four practice collaboration between Hall McKnight, TAKA, Clancy Moore and Steve Larkin will also see the construction of two pavilions — one red and one yellow.

“The architects were asked to make something which expressed their position or point of view in architecture,” says ID2015 spokesperson Leslie Curtis.

“The result is two pavilions in Kings Cross and one installation by Emmett Scanlan in The Tank at the Design Museum.”

She continues: “The two Pavilions at Kings Cross start with the observation that the city is a permanent work in progress. Located on Cubitt Square in a part of London that is undergoing dramatic transformation, these forces are particularly evident.”

“New Horizon from Ireland takes its inspiration from important thresholds in the history of contemporary Irish architecture, where the scope of this work is drawn from both Irish and global design culture,” adds Karen Hennessy, ID2015 Chief Executive. “It looks to a better future.”

your business week, in stores Wednesday

www.irishpost.co.uk First for

AWA R D S 2 0 1 5 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 THE HILTON PARK L ANE , LONDON

For further information or to book your table contact Sarah Murphy on 020 8900 4159 or sarah.murphy@irishpost.co.uk

w w w.theirishpos t awards.com

News, Sport and Entertainment

Home stretch

Ruislip’s Emerald GAA Grounds gets a new lease of life

EYES ON THE PRIZE: Ruislip is home of London GAA Picture: Malcolm McNally

The Irish Post Celebrating 45 years Ruislip redeveloped

By Cian O’Connell, Irish Post Sports Editor

“O

UR vision must become a reality to be left as our legacy.”

That is the message and stated target on the cover page of the Ruislip Redevelopment Brochure.

The Emerald GAA Grounds role in the Irish emigrant experience shouldn’t be underestimated.

So the redevelopment work due to start in June at the Ruislip venue will be monitored with keen interest by sporting enthusiasts.

Costs are expected to reach close to £5million so this ambitious project is beginning to gather momentum — with the refurbishment needing to be completed by May 2016.

Significant improvements are planned — a new north terrace, a seated stand accommodating 2,330, four new dressing rooms, a referees room, a storage room, gym, medical and treatment rooms will be built.

The Ruislip pitch will be resurfaced, while a new entrance/exit route to and from the grounds will also be implemented.

An impressed GAA President Aogan O’Fearghail was at the Official Ground Breaking Ceremony in April.

“There is a sense of ambition,” O’Fearghail said of the venture. “You see that this development is going to cost in the region of four or five million pounds sterling.

“You know there is ambition; there is a willingness to do well. The first thing I noticed as I looked out on the pitch is the London hurling team training. That is ambition.

“It is difficult to leave your own country to eke out a living in a new land, to find a new social space for yourself, to find an economic survival for yourself. There is clearly a high level of ambition in this County Board, and I congratulate them on that.

“There is a very good financial model in this project. It was clear that this project wouldn’t start and didn’t start until the finances were in place.

We don’t tend to go along with things just because they’re a good idea.

Maybe there was a time when we did, but we’re a little more strategic now.”

London GAA County Board Chairman Noel O’Sullivan explains the process which London GAA have embarked on during the past four years.

“In 2011 the London Ruislip Development was formed to consider the long term future of Ruislip as the flagship ground of the GAA in Britain,” he said. “London GAA strongly believes that by maintaining the status quo the association in London would cease to expand and develop. This project is paramount to the long term well-being of London GAA enabling the association here to achieve its aims.”

O’Sullivan is adamant that the improved facilities will reignite interest in Gaelic Games in London.

“Our grounds here are not adequate anymore. They are not fit for what we want to do. If you look out there, there is nowhere for elderly people or people with young babies to sit and watch a game. There’s no disabled access. It’s not right in this day and age.”

He added: “I can see large crowds coming back to Ruislip like the old days,

GROUND BREAKING: Alma Ní Choigligh from the Irish Embassy, GAA President Aogan O’Fearghail, London County Board Chairman Noel O’Sullivan and Cllr Allan Kauffman from Hillingdon Council Picture Malcolm McNally particularly people with families for their Sunday days out, to watch our national game be played here.

“This wouldn’t have been possible only for the help of Croke Park and many people outside, they have brought us to where we are.

“Just before Liam O’Neill became President I became Chairman. He arrived and said he would row in behind us and help us in any way he can.

He gave that commitment.”

O’Fearghail is now supplying valuable advice and assistance from GAA headquarters in Dublin.

First Secretary (Irish Community & Culture) Alma Ní Choigligh represented the Irish Embassy at the Ground Breaking Ceremony in April.

The Irish Government, who were also highly commended by O’Fearghail will contribute money to help London GAA. “There is a need for a new and improved facility here at Ruislip,” Ní Choigligh said. “So the Government through the emigrant support programme with help from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan, and the Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Jimmy Deenihan, has decided to support the development of this facility with the grant of €600,000, which is about 12.5 per cent of the total planned costs of the development.

“I know that the GAA in London has grown from strength to strength in the last number of years and I want to wish them well as they embark on their fundraising campaign. The new facilities will improve all aspects of the experience here at Ruislip for players and supporters. The investment will enhance the place of the GAA at the heart of London’s Irish community.”

Hillingdon Councillor Alan Kaufmann is thrilled that work is set to commence at the Emerald GAA Grounds. “I’ve great pleasure in having a

REALISING THE DREAM: Architects’ projections for the new development

as the voice of the Irish in Britain ❛ Ambassador Dan Mulhall has been a staunch supporter. Back in 2013 the development was just a dream.

Now it is a reality. ❜ long and diverse connection with the Emerald GAA Grounds as South Ruislip’s GAA centre.

This is not just an Irish sports club it is at the heart of the South Ruislip community and all are welcome here.

“Ambassador Dan Mulhall has been such a staunch supporter of this project. Back in 2013 the development was just a dream. Now it is reality.

The centre will add to the excellent sporting facilities in the London borough of Hillingdon.

The plans are on track.”

UNVEILED: London County Chairman Noel O’Sullivan, London footballer Mark Gottsche, and Noel Dunning, Chairperson of the London Development Committee reveal the Ruislip Redevelopment Plans in 2014

EMERALD GAA GROUNDS: Facts and figures What is happening?

■ New 2,330 seater stand to be built ■ Four dressing rooms, referees room, storage room, gym, medical and treatment room ■ Completely redeveloped pitch with provision for rainwater harvesting via attenuation tanks ■ New entrance/exit route to and from the ground London GAA ■ The London County Board was formed and affiliated to the Central Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1896 ■ London is one of only 11 counties to have won an All-Ireland Hurling Championship in 1901 ■ Since its purchase in 1978 and the construction of the clubhouse in 1990 Ruislip has become synonymous with London GAA ■ Ruislip holds more than 40 per cent of all club matches and all inter-county matches in London

38 Sheraton Business Centre Wadsworth Close Greenford Middlesex UB6 7JB

Phone: 020 8997 6560 Fax: 020 8997 6580 Website: www.tmitchell.co.uk Email: info@tmitchell.co.uk

WIDE RANGE OF PLANT AVAILABLE

5-6 TONS

1-3 TONS

OPERATED OR SELF DRIVE 8 TONS

JCB 3CX

13 TONS

WWW.TMITCHELL.CO.UK

25 TONS

29

www.irishpost.co.uk Building your Irish community online

Finishing touch In the house

By SiobhĂĄn Breatnach

A

DESIGNER for over 30 years, ceramic artist Maeve Sookram takes her inspiration from contemporary Irish architecture and everyday objects.

Based in Co. Kilkenny, in her Sevensisters Ceramics studio, Maeve hand-crafts each of her pieces such as this House Tea Light.

A DIT graduate in Environmental Design, Maeve was also a finalist in the 2014 Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

Having studied History of Irish Art and Architecture at Trinity College Dublin, the distinctive colour and textures of Maeve’s pieces come from using oxides before firing each piece twice and then giving them a final third glaze firing.

HOME SWEET HOME: House Tea Light by Maeve Sookram

  Â?    Â?Â? Â?   ­ € ‚ ƒ € ƒ „ Â… Â? € †  ‡  Â?Â? Â?  ˆ Â?  Â? ‚  ƒ ‡ ‰ Â? Â?   Â?Â? Â?  … Â? „ Â? Š  ‹  Â

„„„  30

REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAME & GROUNDWORK SPECIALISTS

Getjar Limited Atlantic House 7 Stirling Way

Borehamwood Hertfordshire WD6 2BT

T: 020 8736 4300 E: rcframes@getjar.co.uk W: www.getjar.co.uk

Part of the Masterson Holdings Group of Companies

Recruiting Now - see our website for details