Century-old building firm G&T Crampton calls in a liquidator

Declan McDonald of PwC has been nominated as liquidator of G&T Crampton (Holdings) Unlimited and G&T Crampton Unlimited Company, pending a vote of creditors at a meeting to be held on March 12th, according to notice posted yesterday.

The 140-year-old, family-owned building firm is ultimately controlled via an Isle of Man company.

The most recent accounts for both companies facing liquidation indicates relatively small debts that appear to be mostly made up of inter-company loans, but significant historic losses.

“Crampton built” is considered a byword for build quality and the firm’s reputation in Ireland is probably unrivaled.

Houses built by the firm in the first half of the twentieth century continue to command a premium on the market – whether the homes were built for Dublin Corporation in Cabra or for the city’s wealthy elite in Herbert Park, Dublin 4 and Foxrock.

The firm has also been involved in numerous nationally important building projects, ranging from the former University College Dublin on Earlsfort Terrace which is now the National Concert Hall to the redevelopment of Smithfield Square.

G&T Crampton was also behind the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street, the American Embassy in Ballsbridge and commercial schemes like Wynn’s Hotel in Dublin city centre – which was rebuilt after being set on fire by incendiary bullets during the 1916 rising.

A photographic archive of hundreds of projects on which G&T Crampton worked was donated to University College Dublin in 2017.

As recently as the last boom, G&T Crampton was turning over €240m a year as a contractor, building on behalf of developers and for clients including the State.

It has continued to sponsor the coveted ‘Silver Trowel’ – an annual prize for the country’s best apprentice bricklayer, but the firm has not been particularly active in recent years, even as the construction sector has ramped back up.

The firm’s management could not be reached at its head office on Burlington Road in Dublin yesterday and Declan McDonald could not be reached for comment.