C Kelly & Sons
1962 – 1971
Like so many before us my brothers and I followed on into our father's business. We diligently evolved our building company C Kelly & Sons into a significant business. The majority of our work was fulfilling contracts with County Councils for building homes and schools in Munster and Leinster. We were based at our head office in Thurles, Co Tipperary. Between us my brothers and I were growing our expertise to fulfil a variety of construction and development work. My own focus was on the financial aspects and the general oversight of the business. I began studying the mindset and strategies for creating business and personal success. Between 1962 and 1968 we had built 365 houses and 2 schools in various locations including Tipperary town, Cashel, Tramore, Monaghan and Dublin.
In 1967 we purchased 60 acres of land in Celbridge in the grounds of Castletown demesne. This was to move our business on from contracting to development and move us into Dublin. A couple of years later it was necessary to re-structure C Kelly & Sons. We established a board and a joint venture unfolded with Page Johnson a successful UK building company. Our board was led by Patrick Gallagher, one of the leading families in the construction industry.
This merger consolidated our move to Dublin and gave us the resources to move up to the next level within the industry. At this point us Kelly brothers were at a phase of life where we were opening up our own individual paths, and while we continued working on projects together we were also pursuing other business partnerships. It was clear to me by this stage how property development has inherent risks. Planning delays and the economic cycle can take a project from viable to unviable despite all one’s best efforts. I have memories of great projects that ran like clockwork and others which keep one awake at night. These years thought me that that access to expertise and clarity of thinking is important in seeing the full cycle of a project through to a successful completion.
A summary of the work accomplished by C.Kelly & Sons
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Cannon Hayse Park in Tipperary Town. Managed by Phil…
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An extension to a school in Cappa. Managed by Tom Kelly.
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8 x houses in Cashel (combined by Phil and Tom Kelly while working in Tipperary on the first two projects)
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20 x houses in Tramore and a school Killarney also in Tipperary. Mike Kelly joined his brothers on this project and worked with project lead, Tom Kelly. They were always so easy together.
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6 /12? x houses in Portlaw just 6 miles from Tramore. Christy Kelly worked on that alongside brothers Tom and Mike.
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52 Houses on Carraig on Sur – Tom and Liam managed that one. This was Liam’s introduction to C Kelly & Sons. At just 16 years of age, Liam joined his brother Tom, 21 years old at the time, managing the site. Liam was responsible up to DPC (aka everything underground) and Tom handled the superstructures.
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The brothers won the contract for one Castle Connell in Limerick (some of the great hurlers comes from there) and 14 houses down in the road in Patricks Well – Phil Kelly managed these two projects.
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22 x Houses in Connolly Park in Monaghan town. By this stage a trusted foreman Tommy Grimes had been trained by The Kelly’s and he managed that job.
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20 x Houses Portarlington Co.Laois – Liam Kelly first struck out on his own under the C Kelly & Sons business at just 17 years of age.
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133 x Houses and an ESB substation in Coolock. Tom Kelly took control of that one. The teams biggest contract yet, and it was in Dublin – They had ‘arrived’ in Dublin.
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30 x houses in Arklow and 22 x houses in Wicklow town. Liam build those after completing in Portarlinton.
All jobs were physically completed by 1968. During the 6 years (1962 – 1968) C.Kelly & Sons completed a total of: 365 x houses and 2 x Schools before the company was restructured (see below), at that point there was a shortfall of c£146k – this was caused by a combination of under-pricing and a bad period where costs of inflation went against the business.
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