In February 2011, an impressive new extension was officially opened at St Mogue's College in Bawnboy. The project was completed by local construction firm P McGovern & Son (fronted by two former county underage hurlers), who are currently working on Phase Two of the redevelopment at the well-appointed and much-acclaimed west county school. Breffni Blue decided to take a closer look at this ongoing project, which is of huge significance to the local community.

The original extension at St Mogue's College (Phase One) comprised a new classroom, the latest ICT facilities (including four new computer suites with 20MB broadband, a multi-media language laboratory and video conferencing facilities) as well as a new entrance lobby. The development was designed by architect Pat Gaffney, built by P McGovern & Son and funded through a Department of Education grant of €162,000 under the Additional Accommodation Scheme.

The redevelopment will further enhance St Mogue's already glittering reputation - the college was recently selected by Oxford and Cambridge Universities to be featured in a publication highlighting outstanding centres of education in Ireland and Britain! The new facilities will help to maintain the incredibly high standards at St Mogue's.

At the official opening of Phase One of the redevelopment, Minister Brendan Smith explained: "Since 2007, the college has secured in excess of €1.3 million from the Department of Education and Skills which has been invested in new classrooms, school canteen, reception areas, social area, car park, technical graphics room, heating system, communication system, rewiring and networking.

"From humble beginnings in the former workhouse in Bawnboy, to one of the most successful educational establishments in County Cavan, St Mogue's College has had a major impact on the lives of generations of students in west Cavan.
"I'd like to congratulate the principal, Anne Conaghan for her outstanding commitment to the school and the board of management and parents' association. Thanks also to Cavan CEO, Colm McEvoy for his energy and vision, and ongoing support for St Mogue's."

P McGovern & Son started the development work at St Mogue's College in November 2009. At the time of writing, they were busy finishing off Phase Two, which includes a brand new cafeteria and will further enhance the already-exceptional facilities at one of the Breffni County's most progressive second-level education establishments.
The development work is the culmination of years of hard work and vision from the likes of Peter McVitty (chairman of the board of management), Ann Conaghan (principal), Seamus McHugh (caretaker), Charlie Clarke and the 22 members of staff, most notably Niall Lynch and deputy principal Martha Levins. St Mogue's record of academic achievement in west Cavan is simply second to none and the coming-on-stream of these new facilities will ensure that this remains the case.
In the long term, a strong St Mogue's will mean a stronger Cavan VEC, which can only be good for everybody in the county, including the GAA.

Currently headed up by Joe and Patrick McGovern, P McGovern & Son is very much part of the fabric of life in Bawnboy. The company was established in what was undeniably a landmark year in the history of our nation - 1916 - and is still providing an exceptional service today as one of Cavan's premier building and civil engineering contractors.

Operating out of Bawnboy, P McGovern & Son specialises in the construction and reconstruction of churches, schools, factories, offices and projects for the HSE and local authorities. Joe and Patrick McGovern have been at the helm of the family business for the past decade. Joe looks back at the genesis of the company "P McGovern & Son was founded in 1916 and the son in the title is now 76 years old! That's my Dad, James. The company was founded by his father - my grandfather, Patrick. Today, myself and my brother Patrick run the business and we specialise mostly in corporate work including churches, schools etc. as well as ongoing maintenance contracts

"We're headquartered in Bawnboy, Cavan and the vast majority of our work is within a 60-mile radius, which could include counties Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal, Roscommon and Meath."
Of course, these are extremely difficult economic times as Ireland finds itself caught in the unyielding grip of an ongoing recession; and the construction sector has been the worst hit of all. The downturn has all but wiped out large swathes of the industry but Joe is pleased to report that thus far P McGovern & Son has withstood the worst of the recession and is more than holding its own:

"Obviously, we are quieter than we were, and like many others, we have had to downsize our crew but we are managing to keep our smaller workforce busy. We have always tried to be loyal to our existing client base and in return, we are grateful that they have been loyal to us. We also stayed within contracting work rather than development and, with hindsight are glad we did. We're busy enough in and around Cavan for the time being so we can't complain."
Over the years, P McGovern & Son has completed various projects on behalf of Cavan VEC, including the current extension project at St Mogue's College and a new roof for Breifne College, Cavan. They also worked on the construction of the new Church of Ireland Central School complex in Ballyconnell, which was officially opened in May 2009. "We also do a lot of maintenance work on various schools," Joe adds.

On the GAA front, both Joe and his brother hurled at St Pat's College and both represented Cavan at U16 and minor levels. Patrick also represented Ballyconnell for a while, but pressing business commitments meant they never took the ancient game too seriously.
They have taken their business very seriously, however. "It's a small, family-run business," Joe concludes. "We have looked after our customers for the last 95 years and we have built up a reputation for offering a top-quality construction / maintenance service. We are hoping to do the same for another 95 years at least!" Tweet

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