Sligo’s National Surf Centre project in running for two Irish Construction Excellence Awards

Collooney based Arken Construction were the building contractors on the project, which was completed in Strandhill last year.

The project has been selected as a finalist in the ‘Leisure’ category of the awards, which will be held in the Convention Centre in Dublin next month.

The ICE Awards are the original and premier recognition of performance excellence for the contracting sector in Ireland. The ICE Awards provide an opportunity for the industry to showcase and reward best practice across the full range of construction disciplines and project categories.

On top of this, the project is also in the running for ‘Project of the Year’ which is a public vote. The general public can register their vote for the National Surf Centre here

A spokesperson for Arken Construction said: “We feel it is a really unique building and fully deserves the recognition it is currently receiving. It is the only project representing the North West region, the next closest being in Strokestown, Co Roscommon.

"This is a massive achievement for a small company like ours and we will be competing against some of the biggest contractors in the country on the night.

"The building is a really unique design and probably its most eye catching feature is the precast concrete panels on its external walls with its bespoke Celtic designs, Irish mythical and surfing imagery (see photos) designed by Donegal artist & surfing legend, Barry Britton.

"The project commenced in Summer 2021 and was completed in October 2022 and it is expected that the building will be opening to the public in the coming weeks in time for the busy tourist season in Strandhill.”

Arken Construction are a Main Building Contracting firm based in Collooney, Co Sligo, led by directors, James Armstrong (Cloonacool, Co. Sligo) and Stephen Clancy (Tullaghan, Co. Leitrim).

Despite being a small to medium sized company, Arken construction have held their own in the region and have been growing steadily over the past number of years.

The National Surf Centre of Excellence is the their latest project completed in a broad portfolio of completed projects in the region across various sectors including residential, commercial, industrial, education & leisure.

Arken Construction, has the drive and the experience to ensure client satisfaction and customer focussed excellence through a hands-on approach and attention to detail on all of their projects. Arken are proud of their reputation as approachable, highly experienced professionals and see the number of repeat clients and the many ‘word of mouth’ recommendations as testament to their success and to their exemplary attention to their client’s needs.

The company has successfully delivered large and relatively small builds with the same degree of perfection, distinction, and always cognisant of budget and environmental considerations. A broad portfolio of successfully completed projects and a history of repeat business are testament to the high standards of this dynamic company.

For more details about the ICE awards, check out the website on www.iceawards.ie and for more information about Arken Construction go to www.arkenconstruction.com.