Prestigious award for master plasterer who worked on restoration of Longford’s St Mel’s Cathedral
George O’ Malley has been awarded a Master Certificate by the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers
A master plasterer who worked on the restoration of Longford’s St Mel’s Cathedral has been presented with a prestigious award.
Mayo born plasterer George O’ Malley has been awarded a Master Certificate by the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers at a recent ceremony in London, the ultimate accolade and recognition of his outstanding craftsmanship and skill.
The Certificate was presented to O’Malley by the Lord Mayo Alderman Alastair King in the Egyptian Hall at the Mansion House London.
The Certificate from the Company founded in 1501 which establishes plastering standards and accredits plasterers is a highly sought after award.
“It is virtually impossible to be recognised by the Worshipful Company as a Master,” O’Malley says. “You need 20 years’ experience over a broad spectrum of practices which must be judged by your peers and deemed to be of a Master standard. Very few, if any, Irish plasterers have been recognised masters since Michael Stapleton (1741-1801).”
Ireland’s leading master plasterer and specialist in the ancient art of decorative plasterwork, O’Malley is well known in construction, restoration and conservation circles for his meticulous high standards and knowledge of specialist craft techniques.
His projects over a career of nearly fifty years have included St Mels Cathedral Longford, Belvedere House, Newman House, Heuston Station and many of Ireland’s great houses including Castletown, Emo Court, Fota and Ligouri House UCD.
Born in Burrishoole, Mayo, the eldest of five sons of Tom O’Malley, a master plasterer from Newport, George has been working since the age of 10 and started with his father in 1973 and later with his uncle George a master plasterer in Dublin for a further two years before setting up on his own business O’Malley Plastering in 1979 in Bray.