The Mitchelstown architect who went on to design iconic buildings in USA and Ireland

Kevin Roche’s first job was at a piggery in Co Cork. He’s since gone on to design iconic buildings in the USA and Ireland, and at 95 has no plans to retire, writes Esther McCarthy

HIS architectural work on such buildings as The Met in New York, the Ford Foundation, and Dublin’s Convention Centre has made him one of the most revered figures in his field.

But Irish architect Kevin Roche’s first major project took place in a piggery in Co Cork while he was a teenager. Even then, his desire to bring happiness and a sense of community were foremost in his approach. The project was carried out for his father, Eamon, who was the first manager of Mitchelstown Creamery.