No 20: Duggan Brothers Ltd

Established in 1923, Duggan Brothers is now in its third generation and has completed circa 1,000 projects in both the private and public sectors. Its current and completed portfolio of work ranges in value from €5m to €80m across commercial, pharmaceutical, educational, healthcare, residential, industrial, and tourism sectors.

Total Turnover:

€87M

ROI Turnover:

€87M

Seamus Duggan, Joint Managing Director, Duggan Brothers, says: “Our extensive and wide range of experience, coupled with a commitment to continuous improvement and ongoing investment in training, equipment and facilities, ensures the combination of the best in modern building techniques with the best in traditional craft skill.”

Duggan Brothers projects

Among several key projects that Duggan Brothers has completed in recent times is the Woodside Development on the Enniskerry Road. It achieved project completion on the first purpose-built cost-rental homes in Ireland, where tenants have begun to occupy the residential development. The development, completed as a collaboration between Respond & Tuath Approved Housing Bodies, comprises 50 cost-rental homes that are part of an overall development of 155 social and affordable homes, a community facility, and green spaces. The cost-rental model means that the rent price is equal to the delivery cost of the scheme alone.

Duggan Brothers recently completed work on the Dorset Street Hotel project in Dublin. This six-story hotel is located on the site of the well-known Dublin tavern, The Big Tree. The former Big Tree pub has been converted into a 163-bed pod hotel with an overall gross floor area of 5,820 sq metres. Retail use has been accommodated at ground level with hotel accommodation above.

February 2021 saw the energisation of The Lumcloon 100MW BESS facility and the Shannonbridge 100MW BESS facility. The new battery energy storage system (BESS) plants will keep with the heritage and tradition of power generation in the area of the two sites, albeit with modern technology, reflecting the evolution of the power industry through the years.

Current projects include the €80m Forensic Science Laboratory, Backweston; and across Dublin, an apartment development at Sean Foster Place (€10m), Dominick Street Regeneration (€35m); Dublin Simon Community Medical Residential Treatment and Recovery Centre (€23m); Arran Street Hotel (€36m); Tom Johnson House Retrofit (€40.5m) and Leeson Lane Office Development (€40m).

Duggan Brothers — Leeson Lane Office Development, Dublin.

Ireland’s first net-zero hotel

Duggan Brothers project The Wren Hotel has been presented the ‘Leisure or Tourism over €10M’ award at the Irish Construction Excellence Awards 2022. The Wren Hotel makes the most of its tight urban site offering 137 compact and luxurious bedrooms in the heart of Dublin. The small format hotel nestles sensitively into its context at Andrew’s Lane.

Eliminating the need for fossil fuels, the building uses 100% renewable energy. It is the first hotel in Ireland to comply with the World Green Building Council’s definition of net zero operational carbon without having to purchase carbon offsets.

The architectural design meets the demands of a tight urban space whilst ensuring glazing and façade options reduce energy loss. The building services installed provide the most sustainable methods of staying in and managing a hotel. Everything related to the design and operation of Wren Urban Nest aims to reduce, reuse, or recycle energy in the most efficient way. It is a fine example of what can be achieved in the hospitality industry and in major conurbations.