Bo Steel Ltd

The Ahascragh Mill has been lying derelict since the late 1950's and is located at the heart of the village of Ahascragh in Co Galway, Ireland. In 2021, works began to transform the old buildings into a modern Distillery. In September 2021, Bo Steel Ltd was awarded the contract for structural steel works for the Still building. The aim was to drop a skeleton of steel into the existing stone building and this new structure would support a new roof, a mezzanine floor for plant and some of the vessels associated with the distillation process.

The specification for the protection of the Still building's steel was not a simple one. The environment would be humid, it would be both a working distillery for employees and also a venue for the public to visit and tour the facility. For this reason the specification was that the steel should be hot dip galvanised, then coated in intumescent paint to give 1 hour fire protection. 

Finally a hard top coat for a visual finish and also to protect the intumescent layer. This level of protection was a challenge for all concerned in terms of  both the technical requirements and a challenging build  schedule. At the core, galvanising the steelwork was deemed essential for the design as it will protect the steel in a humid environment and also to build longevity into a build that has already survived 200 years. The mill is an excellent example of the circular economy where a building is transformed with a new purpose with materials that have maximum longevity.

 Works commenced in early January 2022 for the main steel structure with a number of other smaller elements fitted throughout 2023 and in February 2023 the work was completed with the installation of the open grid floor to the mezzanine. A hot dip galvanized finish was also selected for this element as it would give a long lasting and durable bright finish.