THERE is widespread sadness in Letterkenny following the death of businessman George Boal.
Mr Boal, the founder of Pinehill Industrial Estate, passed away in Letterkenny University Hospital on Christmas Eve. He will be laid to rest on Wednesday, December 27 following a private service at his late residence.
In 2021 the Mountain Top Roundabout, adjacent to Mr Boal’s home, was renamed after him in recognition of his massive contribution to job creation in the area. He was named Letterkenny Business person of the year in 2004.
A farmer’s son, Mr Boal served his time in James Johnston and Sons and had started a small roofing business by the time he married Rebecca Jane (Betty) Spratt on December 19, 1962.
After building the family home, George continued other building work until the mid-seventies when he got the idea of going into the precast concrete business.
Before long, Pinehill Concrete Products were supplying sills, lintels and kerbs to every corner of Donegal.
The next niche in the market was for diggers, JCBs and track machines and before long Mr Boal had bought a low-loader to transport the machinery from site to site.
However, it was while watching a 40 foot lorry trying to reverse at Dillon’s Supermarket with the assistance of the gardai which gave him his best business idea.
In an interview with the Donegal News in 2021 Mr Boal explained: ““There were no warehouses in Letterkenny at that time – apart from an old shed at the Port Bridge where Roulston’s stored their coal.
“I explained my idea to the architects. I wanted two big units – 4,000 sq ft each – together with office space, a canteen and toilets which left us with a total floor area of 9,700 sq ft which was a massive building at the time.
“No sooner had we it finished than someone from Telecom Eireann arrived up here. They were looking for a bigger yard as they had been operating from the Back Road. He asked how much a square foot and I said £1 which meant I got £9,700 for the entire building.
“He said that it would have cost him £4 in Dublin and Cork and £3 in Galway but to make it up for the cheaper rent he asked me to charge him for half-an-hour’s work every time my fork-lift lifted a spool of cable onto or off one of his trucks,” he said.
“I soon purchased another five acres and began building the other warehouses that are here today and at a later stage I bought land across the road. In total now there are 45 units, including Highland Radio, with a few hundred people employed altogether,” Mr Baol said.
In those early days of the precast concrete business, Mr Boal employed a lot of young local lads including Ciaran Brogan.
It was Cllr Brogan that brought the proposal to rename the Mountain Top roundabout after the businessman to the Letterkenny and Milford Municipal District.
Mr Boal is predeceased by parents David and Dorothy, brothers Billy and Angus. He is survived by devoted Wife Betty, daughter Drew, son-in law Eamon, sons Ricky and daughter-in-law Loretto, Gavin and daughter-in-law Yvonne. Fondly remembered by sister Carrie (Omagh), brothers Ian (Antrim) & David (Ednaharnon), grandchildren, great grandchild, extended family members, good neighbours and many friends.
Mr Boal’s remains are reposing at his late residence. Private service there on Wednesday, December 27 at 2.30pm followed by interment in Gortlee cemetery. House, private at the request of the deceased.
Family Flowers, only donations if desired to friends of Letterkenny hospital care of any family member or Charlie Mc Clafferty funeral, Director.
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