McHales to get back to ‘normal’ next month after damaging fire

SMOKE FILLED?The skies about McHale’s plant in Ballinrobe indicate the extent of last week’s fire near Ballinrobe.?Pic: Michael Donnelly

McHales to get back to ‘normal’ next month


Ciara Galvin

NORMAL production levels at the McHale Engineering in Ballinrobe looks set to be back up and running within a number of weeks following a serious fire at the plant last Tuesday.
Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council Damien Ryan told The Mayo News that McHale’s hoped production would be ‘fully restored within six weeks’ and said Mayo County Council would ‘aid the company in whatever way it could’ to ensure this happened.
“It’s a big blow for Ballinrobe, but I have no doubt knowing Padraic and Martin [McHale Farm Engineering owners], full scale production will be reinstated as soon as possible. And we as the local authority will do whatever we can to help this,” said Cllr Ryan, who explained that on visiting the scene on Tuesday last he contacted the Director of Services with Mayo County Council and called for more fire units to be dispatched.
A fire is understood to have broken out in the paint room at McHale’s Castlebar Road site at approximately 5.30pm on Tuesday last, and a number of explosions were heard from the site in the hours that followed.
Workers were evacuated quickly from the building and, while three ambulances attended the scene, there were no casualties.
Eight units of the fire service from Mayo and Galway were also in attendance and the blaze was brought under control at approximately 8.30pm that evening.
A hydraulic aerial ladder platform from the Castlebar fire unit was used in order to dampen flames in the highest areas of the building. Farmers from the region also assisted fire crews by bringing tankers of water from the nearby racecourse.
Fire crews worked into the early hours of the morning to monitor the fire and gardaí remained on the Castlebar Road monitoring traffic.

Statement
In a statement, McHales thanked the emergency services, farmers and local business who helped in tackling the fire. They are currently assessing the damage to the building and the situation is expected become clearer for staff this week.
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny described McHale’s as ‘a local company with a global impact’ and said he had been in contact with Padraic McHale following the fire and said the Government would ‘stand ready’ to help the business recover.
Fine Gael deputy John O’Mahony, along with Minister for Agriculture, Food, the Marine and Defence Simon Coveney and Cllr Patsy O’Brien also attended the scene of the fire.
Deputy O’Mahony said McHale’s had a ‘big challenge’ to face after the fire, but through the help of the local community, government, and colleagues, he hoped production would get back running.
“They’re a fantastic company and the order books were full until October. They’re a company who doubled its workforce in the last four years during a recession...The most important thing is that there was no loss of life,” said the Deputy.

Progressive business
“McHale’s is such a great success story and hopefully they will be up and running within weeks,” said Gwen Costello of neighbouring business, Costello and McDermott.
“It’s such a blow to the McHales and staff and it affects the whole town, from cafés to filling stations. But there’s no doubt about the future of the business. We wish them well and have offered them help with whatever they need.”
McHale’s was founded by brothers Padraic and Martin McHale over 30 years ago.
The company evolved from a farm machinery retail outlet in Kilmaine, which is still in existence today. The company is a specialist producer of agricultural baling and wrapping machinery for round and square bales. McHale products are sold in over 50 countries around the world and it employs approximately 270 people at the Ballinrobe plant.