Ellie Boyle, 17, is the winner of the CIF’s 2023 ‘Constructing Your Future’ schools competition. She is pictured above, being presented with first prize in the Construction Industry Federation competition by Dermot Gildea, Chairman of CIF Donegal Branch, MBC Building Contractors Ltd
I’m from Dungloe and currently a fifth year student in Rosses Community School in Donegal. During my Transition Year I got a great opportunity to do my work experience with McMullin Architects in Dungloe and Donegal Town.
I have always had an interest in interior design and architecture but was delighted to gain much more experience working with the great team at McMullins.
While there, I would start my work at 9 o’clock each day. Tracey or Seamus set me a different, interesting task each week. Most of my
work was done on Sketchup. I assisted Seamus in taking site levels for new planning applications which I later mapped out.
I did a number of site visits to vacant homes to gain information to apply for the new vacant home grants. Growing up , I spent my free time on site with my dad, who has renovated and built a lot of properties in my local area.
Ellie Boyle on site
He taught me so much in all different careers in construction such as tiling, carpentry, block laying and general renovation work. My dad and I have also worked on renovating a lakeside ruin.
He took it from rubble, repointed all the old stone, concreted the floor, and roofed the building and replaced the old windows to make it airtight. I loved getting to see the renovation process from start to finish.
I’ve always enjoyed watching Dermot Bannon’s Room to Improve. I loved getting to see all the different ideas and solutions he found for these modern renovations.
I would like to achieve a permanent position in some role of construction. I’m aiming to work hard over the next two years to achieve the points to be accepted into the architecture course in Queens University, Belfast.
If you were CEO what is the first thing you would do?
If I was a CEO of a company I would ensure to take on as many people for work experience as possible. I would love to give someone the brilliant opportunity that I was thankfully given. I would also try to encourage more girls to take up roles in construction as it is a hugely male-dominated industry.
