Ireland's largest construction and machinery show opens today, 17 April, with €50m worth of machinery on display at the CQMS '15 show at Tinnycross in Tullamore.

Around 100 exhibitors of construction and quarry machinery equipment are on site for the two-day event.

The show was officially opened by Director General of the Construction Industry Federation Tom Parlon.

The employers body IBEC has said economic growth this year will be even stronger than 2014, and has revised upwards, its forecast to almost 5.5%. Forecasters also expect unemployment to drop below 10% this year.

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Brian Coogan, Publisher of Machinery Movers Magazine and organiser of the show, said: "We are very confident that this show will be a very positive marker for change in the construction industry. The country is clearly in recovery mode and this show will be an important part of moving forward for many construction and quarry companies who haven't purchased new equipment for several years during the downturn.

"There is little or no second-hand equipment on the market in Ireland and so the time is ripe to begin showing and demonstrating once again to a recovering construction industry. We expect a great turnout today and tomorrow and we hope that it will be a positive experience for everyone who attends this event."

(CD/JP)