T BOURKE was established by Ted Bourke in 1968. The company set up offices in Dublin on Rathmines Road Lower. Ted had worked for HA O’Neills where he had gained extensive experience in the mechanical and electrical industry. However, his entrepreneurial spirit called and so T Bourke & Co. was formed. The company’s primary focus was mechanical contracting and one of the first large project secured was the Royal Dublin Hotel on O’Connell St. Dublin 1. This was no small undertaking for a newly established company, however the strong links with the development and design team meant confidence in a quality build was not in question. Turbulent times of recession loomed and strikes were abundant, that said the project was completed and T Bourkes firmly established as a player in the market.

The company was now eleven years and continued to compete and win high profile projects. One such project is that of Tralee General Hospital. Tralee was served by St. Catherine’s Hospital which was located in Rathass on the grounds of what is now the Áras an Chontae Buildings or the HQ of Kerry County Council. Tralee General Hospital was a new build on a green field site. The project was a sizeable challenge with full mechanical services including associated medical gases. Today, the hospital is known as Kerry General Hospital.

After several moves around offices in the Rathmines area including Ontario Terrace and Ardee Road. T Bourke & Co. acquired new premises in what was then the suburbs of County Dublin. The new property with two floors of office space and dedicated workshop provided modern office space and allowed for future expansion.  The company still trades today from Stillorgan Industrial Park.   

1986 Ted Bourke (Front row, 4th from left) attends the Génie Climatique International (the European Association of Heating, Ventilation and Plumbing Contractors) Annual Convention held in Dublin.

1986 Ted Bourke at the Banquet of the General Assembly of Génie Climatique International (the European Association of Heating, Ventilation and Plumbing Contractors), in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin in May 1986. Pictured from left are four Irish Presidents along with the President of GCI, Eoin Kenny, President of CIBSE UK, Ted Bourke, President of MEBSCA, Chris Jones in his role as President of CIF, Poul Steffensen, President of GCI Denmark and Paddy Clonan, President of CIBSE Ireland.

In a change to social and urban sprawl of Dublin city. New suburban shopping centres started to appear on the outskirts of Ireland’s cities. The square in Tallaght was one such centre. The shopping centre opened on 23 October 1990 to a crowd of 45,000 by An Taoiseach at the time, Charles Haughey. T Bourke & Co. was the principal mechanical contractor on the scheme. It was the first of four large shopping complexes built in the towns surrounding Dublin from the late 1980s onwards and was for a while the largest shopping centre in Ireland.

T Bourke secure the mechanical installation on the Department of Agricultural Laboratories. Located at Backweston in Celbridge. This project was one of the largest of its time. The mechanical value was over €20 million for a 24 month period. It was a complicated project due to scale and complexity of services required.

KMS is a highly regarded mechanical services company based in Kerry. This strategic move marks a significant step in T Bourke’s growth and commitment to providing exceptional engineering solutions across Ireland. KMS has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality mechanical services, specializing in sustainable solutions and complex maintenance installations in sectors such as healthcare, education, and commercial developments. By integrating KMS into its operations, T Bourke expands its reach and strengthens its ability to offer comprehensive mechanical solutions to a broader client base.