15/11/2025
It was with great sadness that we learned on Thursday evening of the sad and untimely passing of our friend and colleague Sean McAlary. 'Big Sean' had been with the company since August of 1998, and his 27 years made him the longest-serving member of our team. To say he had a massive impact on the company's growth during those 27 years would be a huge understatement. A brilliant plumber and as hard a worker as you could hope to find, Sean would have a day's work for most normal men done by ten o'clock tea. Although he definitely wouldn't have said it, and probably wouldn't have thought it, Sean was also a brilliant teacher!. He passed on his expertise to numerous apprentice plumbers down through the years, and no better teacher or example could they have had. It wasn't just apprentices he guided; greenhorn quantity surveyors and office staff were also very grateful for his guidance and education, always done in a very unassuming way. Those who learned from him know the impact he had and what it meant to them in their careers. Indeed, before his illness, he had another apprentice due to start with him...that was the measure of the man - always willing to bring an apprentice under his wings and give them a chance - though there were varying degrees of success with a few....he could judge within a day or two if they were going to make it! To Mary, Joanne, Paddy, Claire, and Sean's entire family, we pass on our sincere condolences. To say he will be badly missed in O'Kanes wouldn't do it justice. Maurice put it best on Thursday evening when he said simply, "A True gentleman and great worker...may he rest in peace" 🙏
