In January 2017 Murphy began work at Ireland’s famous Curragh racecourse which included reconstruction of the ‘Queen’s Room’ - a viewing room constructed in the 1850s to commemorate the proposed visit of Queen Victoria.
The site team demolished the old grandstand and Weigh room as well as restoring the Queens building and relocating it 200 metres away. The building was moved stone by stone with the original windows and doors which were conserved and repaired where necessary. The original ‘torsion’ granite staircase was reconstructed and the interior refitted with the original wall décor moulding and ceiling cornices.
Sergejs Kornikovs, Murphy senior civil engineer, said: “The Queen’s room is a big part of the history of Curragh Racecourse. Rebuilding it was a fantastic experience for the site team, everyone felt very privileged to play a part on this heritage project. The work was supported by an incredibly genius design which combined conservation with new buildings regulations.”
The restored Queen’s room, which is a standalone feature described as a ‘spectacular addition to the facility’ was completed on time and in budget in April 2018, ready for this year’s racing season which began on the 11th of May.
The Curragh will stage a total of 18 race days this season featuring a record 11 Group One races and offering over 10 million euro in total prize money over the season.