Pictured at the contract signing for the development were (L-R) Lorcan Hoyne, L&M Keating; Denis Byrne, Denis Byrne Architects; Pat Dowling, Chief Executive, Clare County Council; Geraldine Enright; Director, Cliffs of Moher Experience; and Tom McNamara, Mayor of Clare.

Construction work on the 280 square metre building, which includes toilet facilities, meeting rooms and offices, will commence shortly and is scheduled for completion in June 2018.

“The development of improved visitor facilities is imperative considering the Cliffs of Moher’s status as one of Ireland’s most visited natural attraction,” commented Mayor of Clare Tom McNamara.

“I am delighted to see that the new building has been designed in keeping with the design of the existing visitor centre and will improve visitor services including the provision of additional toilets for visitors arriving at the visitor attraction by coach,” he added.

For the fourth year in a row, the Cliffs recorded one million visitors within a calendar year in mid-August.  The North Clare visitor attraction is now on track to exceed its record visitor total of 1,427,166 people in 2016.

Now in its 26th year, the award ceremony was held in October 2017 in Galway, Ireland. L&M Keating was 1 of 10 companies awarded the Higher Distinction award from the 116 awards presented on the night. The Higher Distinction awards are presented to companies who have demonstrated a higher standard of safety commitment achieving a mark of over seventy percent.

Ian Lynch, HSEQ Manager at L&M Keating explained “The prestigious Higher Distinction awarded to L&M Keating demonstrates our commitment to positive and proactive culture of safety management with in the organisation.” 

The All Ireland Occupational Safety Awards was established nationally in 1992 and is Ireland’s premier safety awards. By 1995, the Award covered all of Ireland when the Northern Ireland Safety Group (NISG) joined forces with the National Irish Safety Organisation. 

The Fleadh Cheoil, meaning "festival of music", is an Irish music competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ). Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is the most important event in the traditional music calendar being the largest Irish Traditional Music Festival in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of Irish music, song and dance enthusiasts from all over the globe. For many, it is the culmination of months of hard work and practice as they compete against fellow musicians, singers and dancers to achieve the recognition of being an All-Ireland champion. For others it is a unique and huge annual celebration of Ireland's rich and vibrant cultural traditions, featuring a range of events for anyone with an interest in traditional music, singing and dancing and the very best of traditional arts that offer a wide range of activities to be enjoyed by all. There will be a wide variety of concerts, street entertainers, competitions, dancing, céilí, and much more.

Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will feature more than 400 events throughout Ennis and Co Clare, many of them free of charge such as concerts, céilís, exhibitions, lectures, street performances, hundreds of sessions and much more.

Fleadh TV will broadcast live from the centre of Ennis from 8.30pm to 11.30pm over three nights from Friday August 18 to Sunday August 20 on TG4 as well as live on tg4.tv and on the Fleadh website fleadhcheoil.ie.

What was your “back to the wall” moment and how did you overcome it?
I had many such moments in the early years, all involving money. In 1990 we were installing new lights on the runway in Shannon during night-time possessions. The Gulf War started, and suddenly, instead of one flight per night we had eight or nine flights and had to vacate the runway for an average of 25 minutes every time. It was virtually impossible to make progress in the eight-hour working window. The way the contract was written, though, all delays were at the contractor’s expense and left us open to severe penalties for time over-runs. What did I do? Doubled our resources, personally worked 20 hours a day to manage everything and prepared a claim for extra payment, which was eventually settled just before disaster struck the business. I also then took up a day job for a few years.

What moment would you cite as the turning point for the company?
Our first jetty construction job in 1998 was for the Tarbert-Killimer Ferry. As well as getting into a whole new specialist area that was of personal interest to me, it was the first job we got on technical ability rather than price. The ferry company had faith in my ability to get the necessary specialist plant and to be able to plan and manage the job successfully and get our workforce up to speed in the techniques required. In hindsight it was a huge leap of faith by both the employer and their designers, which we rose to. They are still a valued client.

What is your greatest business achievement to date?
I would say winning €100 million worth of marine construction work in Dublin Port (ongoing) in a joint venture partnership with Roadbridge of Limerick.

Describe your growth-funding path:
I had £30,000 [Irish pounds] in 1987, which I invested in the new business. Since then funding has been from retained profits plus asset finance for new equipment.

What is the single most important piece of advice you would offer to a less experienced entrepreneur?
Keep some reserves; there are lean times ahead.

To what extent does your business trade internationally and what are your plans?
Very little at the moment. We keep an eye on the UK market and tender projects from time to time. However, our strength is in our people – they are all based in Ireland, and we are able to keep them busy here and typically grow 5 per cent year-on-year. Therefore, there is no great push to work abroad.

Where would you like your business to be in three years?
I see a growth period emerging so I would expect turnover to be up 10-40 per cent. However, the most important thing would be to continue to trade consistently in a volatile industry, to maintain profitability, a steady workload and steady workforce and to widen the client base further."

Link to Irish Times article: Click here

Louis and the other Irish finalists will attend masterclasses with Consul General Philip Grant, Professor Stuart Coulson from Stanford, Mayor of San Francisco Ed Lee, Liam Casey, PCH, Sean O’Sullivan from SOSV and Jim Marggraff, Director, Product Management at Google.

Louis started the company in March 1987 with just 3 staff. 30 years on, over 300 people go to work on our sites daily. Under the management of Louis Keating, our solutions focused company has adapted to customer needs and market influences to become a leading player in the Irish Construction Industry. We have unique offerings in both building and civil engineering and now undertake more than €60M of highly technical build and design build projects annually.

The team here at L&M Keating congratulate Louis Keating on this recognition and wish him every success at the awards ceremony in October.

To read more on the official EY press release, please click here : http://www.ey.com/ie/en/newsroom/news-releases/news-20-years-on-ey-entrepreneur-of-the-year-reveals-the-programmes-24-finalists-for-2017

This was the prestigious 35^th Awards Evening and the event is always one of the highlights in the construction industry’s calendar with some 280 of industry’s finest in attendance. The Awards recognise excellence in both design and construction in concrete and are adjudicated by an independent jury of industry professionals. The main awards jury reviewed a total of twenty-six projects nominated in three categories of main awards - Elemental, Infrastructure and Building. There were seven projects nominated for the 5^th Irish Concrete Society International Award, which is sponsored by Enterprise Ireland. The winner of the annual Sean de Courcy Student Prize was also announced.

The main awards jury consisted of Frank Lee, Consulting Engineer, Peter Dudley, Scot Talen Walker Architects and Eden Keane, SIAC Construction.

Winner – Building Category and Overall Winner

St. Angela’s College, Cork

Chosen from a total of 12 category entries and 26 entries for overall award.

Jury Quote:

“The internal walls and ceilings in this building are predominantly fair faced exposed concrete. That might conjure up a cold and dark environment in many minds. Yet the head of the establishment is quoted as saying that “……the building is a pleasure to come in to. There is fun in the design. Light fills the corridors. … there are lovely social spaces.” The 18m level difference between the top and the bottom of the site has resulted in a linked series of buildings which the architects liken to a “hill town”.

The architects’ and engineers’ choice for exposed internal structure was insitu concrete made with local limestone and cement chosen to give a light colour, while the other common local rock – red sandstone - was used for external paths and paving. The exposed concrete quality is uniformly smooth and consistent. Formwork joints intersections and shutter tie locations are all planned and executed in exemplary manner. Even a 9m high wall single pour was kept to that standard.”

Project Client:                 Department of Education and Skills

Project Engineer:           Malachy Walsh and Partners

Project Architect:            O’Donnell + Tuomey

Project Contractor:      L&M Keating

Major Suppliers:             Lagan Concrete / Claramore Construction

This is a fantastic award for the team and recognises our excellence in delivery of high quality, technically challenging projects. The jury were taken aback by 9m high fair faced walls, coloured concrete and management of difficult logistics. Well done to the team, back office, safety and site! Once again, we are recognised as top of our field. 

Article from www.engineersjournal.ie:

Clare based organisation awarded Engineers Ireland CPD Accredited Employer Standard

The Clare based engineering contractor has been recognised for its continuing professional development strategy. Established in 1987, the company has grown and now employs 80 direct employees as well as many sub-contractors.

L&M Keating, a Clare based multidisciplinary building, civil and marine engineering contractor with renowned technical expertise, has been awarded the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Accredited Employer Standard by Engineers Ireland in recognition of its continuing professional development strategy.

The standard is a strategic framework which enables engineers and engineering employers raise competency levels and deliver tangible business benefits by investing in engineers through CPD.

At the parchment presentation held in Engineers Ireland’s Dublin office, Caroline Spillane, Director General of Engineers Ireland congratulated L&M Keating on achieving the accredited standard.

“Investment in professional development is essential for engineering organisations to gain a competitive edge and achieve results on both a local and international level. It is clear that the senior management team in L&M Keating has a strong commitment to developing its people and will continue to expand its operations and benefit from the strategic approach facilitated by the CPD Accredited Employer Standard,” said Spillane.

“It is fantastic for L&M Keating to gain CPD Accredited Employer status with Engineers Ireland. We have always been technically driven with a strong ethos of mentorship. I joined L&M Keating soon after graduation and received excellent mentorship from the top engineers in the country on some of the most technically challenging and diverse projects around,” said Richard Browne, Director of L&M Keating.

“Our engineers get to work on buildings, bridges, canals, ports, harbours and now in our design office. We offer great flexibility, variety and real opportunities to our team. Our team have worked hard to develop our CPD programme and to keep up with company growth and demands,” he added.

The company was also part of a project team that was jointly awarded the ‘Local Authority Engineering Initiative’ award for its work on The City Quays, Limerick at the recent Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards. The City Quays project focused on creating a vibrant urban centre to support a stronger mid-west region to improve the region’s economy and boost the attractiveness of the gateway region.

Engineering experts awarded the City Quay’s project in Limerick the ‘Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award’ at this year’s Engineers Ireland Awards. The annual awards recognise and celebrate significant and important engineering works undertaken around the country. Limerick City and County Council were joint winners of the award with Cork City Council.

The City Quay’s project has resulted in a high quality waterside environment for public use and enjoyment of the River Shannon, as well as a unique setting for the ongoing revitalisation of the city centre. The project was undertaken by Limerick City and County Council at a total cost of almost €5 million, with partfunding secured through Fáilte Ireland under the NDP (2007–2013) Tourism Infrastructure Programme. The investment represented a major stage in the City Riverside Improvement Strategy which aims to provide a high quality waterside environment for public use by the community and visitors alike. The River Shannon is one of the most important assets of the city, providing a unique natural resource for both residents and visitors, and as recognised by substantial new development investment and the overall vision for Riverside City.

The development saw the upgrading of Bishop's, Howley's, Honan’s and Harvey's Quays as well as Lower Cecil Street, Shannon Street and Lower Mallow Street in Limerick city centre.

• The €5 million improvement works included:
• 850 square metres of boardwalk with deck constructed in tropical hardwood
• Repairs to the quay wall and retention of its historic features
• Erection of a performance feature with distinctive lighting
• Interpretation boards, seating, street lighting and new planting
• Widened footpaths and the provision for closure of Howley's Quay to traffic for future events
• Traffic calming, cycling infrastructure including the Bike Share Scheme and fully accessible spaces

The project complemented the improvement works on the opposite O’Callaghan and Clancy Strands through the realisation of a continuous visitor trail around the key sections of the river with enhanced waterbased activities, while also complementing the public realm improvements of the City Centre.

The Project Managers were Lawlor Burns and Associates; Nicholas de Jong Associates were the Urban Designers and the Engineers on the project were O'Shea Consulting. The contractors were L&M Keating Ltd.

Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon congratulated the team on the City Quay’s project: “What a fantastic achievement to be given this prestigious award. It shows the high quality of work being carried out in Limerick City and County Council and the local authority sector in general. Well done to all involved.” Vincent Murray Senior Engineer with Limerick City and County Council said:”We are delighted that the project has been recognised by Engineers Ireland. It was a complex project carried out on a street that had to be kept open for business. The project had several outcomes which had to be kept in mind. As well as being a wonderful amenity for the people of Limerick to enjoy, it also had and is acting as a catalyst for further investment in the city centre.”

The awards honour the passionate work of civil engineering contractors and professional across all aspects of the industry. They recognise the most exciting innovations, advances in safety and quality excellence over the period from 2011 to 2016. The Cape Clear Island project received the category award in the €2-5M euro value and the overall award.

This project, although small in value was one of the company’s most challenging marine projects to date, Cape Clear Island Storm Gates. For this project, L&M Keating offered a totally bespoke innovative contractor designed solution. The company chose to precast the largest element, the concrete lock chamber off-site on the mainland. The 15x15x9m high, 1000t concrete structure was cast and successfully floated from Verolme Drydock, Cobh over 130km to Cape Clear Island. It was then sunk into position on foundations 7m below water. The team then installed a set of sophisticated computer controlled mitre storm gates which includes two 30t gate leaves each operated by 140t hydraulic rams. This novel solution ensured that the harbour and vital link to the mainland remained accessible throughout the construction programme and improved safety by minimising underwater construction works.

Design & project coordination of the project was carried out by Project Director, Richard Browne. Richard who was selected as Chartered Engineer of the Year, 2015/6 said ‘This was a highly technical jigsaw which took the efforts of our crews and over 14 separate design specialists to put it together. The largest component of which had to arrive in a 2hr slot at the right stage of the right tide with the right weather conditions’.

Accepting the award, Louis Keating said ‘We are overjoyed with the win. We have been in the business for 30 years and now have over 100 of the best people delivering some of the most innovative, technically challenging building and marine projects in the country. This project had it all, technical challenges, off shore logistics and cutting edge design. It’s humbling to have our project voted best in the country by such an esteemed panel of judges.’

The project has proved to be a great success and today provides protection to the critical harbour infrastructure and safety to the islanders fishing boats and passenger ferry. L&M Keating, Building & Civil Engineering Contractors have developed a name for delivering the most technically challenging marine civil engineering projects, particularly in the design and build sector. L&M Keating are currently working on a number of marine projects such as Rossaveel Harbour and Dublin Port Redevelopment.

About Louis Keating

Louis Keating is a native of Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin. He has an Engineering Degree from Trinity College and is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of Engineers Ireland. Louis Keating founded L&M Keating in Kilmihil, Co. Clare in 1987. The L&M Keating group also owns and operates Kilrush Marina and a specialist plant hire business, Kilmihil Rental Store.

About L&M Keating

L&M Keating is a multidisciplinary building & civil engineering contractors established in 1987 by Louis Keating. The company headquarters is Kilmihil, Co. Clare but it now also operates from regional offices in Dublin with current live projects throughout the length and breadth of the country. It directly employs over 100 construction professionals in both building and civil engineering divisions. The company has established a reputation as a market leader not just in complex civil engineering projects but in high quality pharmaceutical and educational building sectors also. Recent high profile contracts include Doolin Pier, Co Clare, St. Angela’s College, Cork, Stryker Innovation Centre, Cork, and Foynes East Jetty reclamation works.

About the Civil Engineering Contractors Association

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association represents construction contractors specialising in the delivery of civil engineering projects. Its members are active within Ireland and overseas, and have played an essential role in the building of Ireland’s economic infrastructure.

Typically, association members undertake transportation projects including motorway and rail, public health projects including water supply, wastewater treatment, and flood control, power generation and many more. The Association plays an active role in promoting the highest standards within the industry, and supports the welfare and interests of each individual member.

Contact details;

www.lmkeating.ie

Richard Browne, Director, L&M Keating 0659050090

CECA: ALISON IRVING | Executive - Main Contracting

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FEDERATION | 01 406 6004 | 086 4117312 | www.cif.ie

For more on this from the Architecture Ireland Magazine, click here