Ciaran Begley has been a busy man this week. In fact he has been busy for the past 18 months.
Ciaran Begley has been a busy man this week. In fact he has been busy for the past 18 months.
As Gilbert Ash’s Contracts Manager, he has been in charge of the hundreds of builders, joiners, painters, fitters, engineers and craftspeople who have helped to build the new Ravenhill Stadium.
Tonight, on the eve of the biggest game at the ground in 15 years, Begley and the entire Gilbert Ash team can reflect on a job well done. This evening, the last lick of paint is going on the stairwells, the taps in the new bars in the grandstand are being polished and the last pieces of what Begley calls the stadium ‘jigsaw’ are going into place.
“I think relief is the word that I would say today!” jokes Begley. “We have always known, right from the very start, that the Heineken Cup quarter-final was a possibility and everything was geared towards that potential. It has worked out well and we have got there. It has worked well for the team getting the home quarter-final and it was a great target for us to work towards.”
The stadium might be for the sport of rugby in Ulster, but it is a venue that has been built by people from the Province:
“Almost everything in the stadium is the result of local labour,” says Begley. The alluminum curtain walling came from a small company in Omagh. The glass comes from Cookstown, the guys doing the metal work are from Randalstown. The steel came from Ballynahinch. All local firms and local people grateful to be working locally. People have benefitted greatly from this project in the local area.”
Ravenhill Stadium isn’t complete yet. In fact, following tomorrow’s game there will still be considerable work to do. The new Nevin Spence Education and Heritage Centre will be fitted out in the coming months, a new 4G pitch will be built in conjunction with Aquinas School, behind the new Family Stand and there will be work to improve access and egress to the ground.
Ulster Rugby owes a huge thank you to the Northern Ireland Executive, to the DCAL Minister, Caral Ní Chuilín, and to her Department for funding the project and to Gilbert Ash and their contractors.
Whatever the result tomorrow, rugby in the Province has a stadium to be proud of for generations to come.
Ciaran Begley has been a busy man this week. In fact he has been busy for the past 18 months.
As Gilbert Ash’s Contracts Manager, he has been in charge of the hundreds of builders, joiners, painters, fitters, engineers and craftspeople who have helped to build the new Ravenhill Stadium.
Tonight, on the eve of the biggest game at the ground in 15 years, Begley and the entire Gilbert Ash team can reflect on a job well done. This evening, the last lick of paint is going on the stairwells, the taps in the new bars in the grandstand are being polished and the last pieces of what Begley calls the stadium ‘jigsaw’ are going into place.
“I think relief is the word that I would say today!” jokes Begley. “We have always known, right from the very start, that the Heineken Cup quarter-final was a possibility and everything was geared towards that potential. It has worked out well and we have got there. It has worked well for the team getting the home quarter-final and it was a great target for us to work towards.”
The stadium might be for the sport of rugby in Ulster, but it is a venue that has been built by people from the Province:
“Almost everything in the stadium is the result of local labour,” says Begley. The alluminum curtain walling came from a small company in Omagh. The glass comes from Cookstown, the guys doing the metal work are from Randalstown. The steel came from Ballynahinch. All local firms and local people grateful to be working locally. People have benefitted greatly from this project in the local area.”
Ravenhill Stadium isn’t complete yet. In fact, following tomorrow’s game there will still be considerable work to do. The new Nevin Spence Education and Heritage Centre will be fitted out in the coming months, a new 4G pitch will be built in conjunction with Aquinas School, behind the new Family Stand and there will be work to improve access and egress to the ground.
Ulster Rugby owes a huge thank you to the Northern Ireland Executive, to the DCAL Minister, Caral Ní Chuilín, and to her Department for funding the project and to Gilbert Ash and their contractors.
Whatever the result tomorrow, rugby in the Province has a stadium to be proud of for generations to come.