Waterways Ireland

McMenamin Engineering was delighted to be involved in the development of Waterways Ireland’s new Craft Centre of Excellence in Tullamore, Co. Offaly. Our team successfully supplied and erected all the structural steel for three separate buildings at this landmark facility, representing a significant investment in Ireland’s inland waterways heritage.

The new centre, located 1km east of Tullamore, will replace the existing Tullamore Harbour depot, which has served as a regional base for over 60 years. When fully operational, this state-of-the-art facility will bring together up to 70 team members from Operations, Mechanical & Electrical, Finance, and the Inspectorate in a single centre, creating a hub for collaboration and innovation.

Working with the main contractor, Pat Loftus Construction, we supplied the complete structural steel framework for this project. The Craft Centre is one of three new buildings, and probably the most iconic within the contract, with the other two being carpentry and mechanical craft workshops. The project will help to safeguard employment and traditional crafts in the region for years to come.

The relocation also enables ambitious regeneration plans for the harbour area in Tullamore town centre, demonstrating how thoughtful infrastructure development can benefit entire communities.

McMenamin Engineering worked alongside Axis Architecture and Malachi Cullen Consulting Engineers Ltd to deliver this complex project. Our experience in structural steel supply and erection ensured that the facility met the demanding requirements of a modern operational centre. The finished buildings will support Waterways Ireland’s mission as custodians of over 1,100km of inland waterways and 650km of paths and cycleways.

Our company was appointed to supply, fabricate, and erect the structural steelwork and cold-formed purlins for the Waterways Ireland development in Tullamore. The project comprised three separate buildings within a single site, with our scope encompassing the complete structural steel package, including the supply and installation of all primary steelwork and roof purlin systems.

All structural steel was fabricated in-house at our facility in Donegal, allowing for stringent quality control throughout the production process. The completed steelwork was transported to site and erected in accordance with the project programme, requiring careful planning and coordination to ensure the efficient delivery of materials and installation activities across the three buildings.

A key feature of the project was the application of an intumescent fire protection system to all structural steel elements, providing the required fire resistance performance while maintaining the architectural intent of the design. The steelwork was subsequently finished with a high-quality white topcoat, delivering a durable and visually striking finish.

Through detailed planning, precise fabrication, and efficient site execution, the project was successfully delivered to the highest standards of workmanship, quality, and safety, providing robust structural solutions for all three buildings within the Waterways Ireland development.