Based just outside Birr in Castletown, Co Offaly, OMB Farm Buildings Ltd has been building for farmers across the Midlands and beyond for over 20 years.
OMB Farm Buildings Ltd, led by brothers Liam and Dermot O’Meara, is not just building sheds and tanks – they’re building on a legacy that started with their father, and that now stretches confidently into the next generation. Irish Tractor Agri & Plant caught up with the director Liam O’Meara to hear more about his business at the moment, it current projects and hopes going forward.
OMB was set up by the two brothers following in the footsteps of their father, Jim O’Meara, who had worked in farm construction himself for many years. When they first set up OMB farm buildings over two decades ago, they did so with the ambition of one day having a business which would have a reputation for delivering quality work. Today the company is very much renowned for doing exactly that, it has amassed an impressive portfolio of projects around the Midlands region and further afield.
Operating with five full-time within its team in Castletown, Fortal, Birr, County Offaly, OMB Farm buildings can provide its customers with all types of builds from milking parlours, sheds, and silage pits to tanks.
Irish tractor Agri & Plant spoke with Liam O’Meara recently to learn more about what they’ve been doing up to as of lately.
“We’re busy the whole time, but this year’s been especially busy,” says Liam. “There’s a big drive on slurry storage at the minute. We’re doing a lot of tanks – more so than sheds at this time of year. The milking parlour side of things has quietened down a bit, but there’s been a big pickup with beef farmers, especially over the last two years.”
According to Liam, changes in farm schemes and grant supports have led to more farmers in dry stock looking to build. “We’ve seen more of the beef farmers than ever looking for work to be done. There’s good demand there now with the grants and everything. It’s definitely keeping us busy.”
While OMB farm buildings would be renowned for work on numerous farm sheds in the region, This time of year it’s more about tank work for customers. “There’s not many sheds being done right now – it’s mostly tanks. We’re working on a major continuation tank for an industrial firm in Birr at the moment. That one’s a big job. My brother would be doing a lot of work for them, then we do all the shuttering and concrete work ourselves.”
OMB’s good name in the area didn’t come overnight. Their story is one of steady growth, rooted in hard work and a deep understanding of the land and the people who work it. That understanding started with Jim O’Meara, Liam and Dermot’s father, who first went out on his own in farm building before passing the reins to his sons. Liam is quick to give credit to their father Jim, whose own work laid the foundations for the business today.
“We learned the trade from him,” Liam says with pride. “We’ve a great customer base built up, but a lot of that comes down to the work my father did before us. We’re still working for the same lads he worked for 30 years ago. That kind of thing really matters.”
In September, Offaly will host the 2025 national championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly, which is less than half an hour away from OMB’s base in Castletown.
The same farm venue held the Ploughing Championships from 2016-2018 when they were hosted by the late Joe Grogan, with his wife Lisa Flaherty Grogan set to host this year’s event with additional lands being made available for ploughing and parking from many neighbouring farmers.
The three-day event is expected to boost the local economy by millions of euros, namely via the hospitality industry, but also utilising many local services in order to build an event that requires upwards of 700 acres.
Liam said that “it’s fantastic” to see the Ploughing Championships back in the Faithful County again “It brings a bit of life to the county and a bit of business too. A lot of lads look forward to it.” And he too is very much looking forward to the weekend of September 16-18th in Screggan.
As for the future of the business itself, Liam’s sons – Jack (18) and Declan (16) – are already getting stuck in. “My own sons work part time with us when they’re off school. it’s good to see them take an interest and learn the ways from us just as we did from our father.”
For now, Liam and Dermot are happy to keep at it, taking each job as it comes and doing things the way they always have – with care, hard work, and a focus on getting the job done right.
OMB Farm Buildings Ltd
Castletown,
Fortal,
Birr,
Co Offaly
Mobile : 0872666337
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 13 No 2, Autumn 2025
