Engineers Ireland Amplified

Few of us are presented with a problem so big it needs to be dealt with on a national scale. When Aidan O’Connell discovered pyrite, he tackled it head-on, literally writing the book on how to deal with it. Today, he is an acknowledged expert in the area worldwide.  A hands-on pragmatic civil engineer, Aidan’s colourful career has spanned from his early days in the UK to running a successful small...

Is mixing the intellectual world of engineering and the physical world of sport, some kind of Venn diagram gone wrong?  Professionals in both need to combine strategy, foresight and expertise with skill and instinct.  If you mix all these qualities into one person, do you get a super-human engineer? Our guests on the show today share how sport and teamwork helped them excel at engineering. They ar...

Our working world is rapidly changing and graduate programmes are changing also. We discover how new recruits are learning in a new way and what we as qualified professionals must do to keep up.  Giving us an insight into today’s university programs are Una Beagon, Head of Civil Engineering at the Technological University in Dublin and Maria Kyne Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in the Technical...

After 20 years in engineering, John’s career continues to climb. His firm is breaking new ground in engineering practice, they have big plans to expand and have been officially recognised as one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland. In this episode, we hear how John’s experience and willingness to try new things, has built huge trust in the team and how the freedom they enjoy has delivered huge resul...

With a career that spans over 38 years, Gerry shares an extraordinarily unique insight into some of Ireland’s largest and most crucial infrastructures.  Having led the delivery of PPP capital projects for highways, water, healthcare, schools and flood relief, Gerry shares how his approach to planning has evolved from his earlier career, working on the Dublin to Galway motorway, to how achievable h...

Sustainability has been at the core of operations at Varming for decades. CEO James Kavanagh is a huge believer in engineers’ capability to change the world.  He says “Engineers are natural ambassadors for change, especially in terms of design. The engineering community, coming together with all sorts of politicians and goodwill, make real transformation happen.” During our podcast, we hear about...

Digital advances, from 3D models in public planning to patients living with pacemakers, are pushing sectors into new spaces which present unique opportunities but not without challenges. In the final part of our mini-series, we discover how digitalisation has shaped the automation, manufacturing and aviation industries here in Ireland.  Our guests share real-world examples of phrases we hear bandi...

Discover how digitalisation has been woven into the fabrics of business and society, and how Irish engineers have risen to the challenge. In episode two we explore how technology continues to redefine sectors of the engineering world and how these strides in digitalisation are increasing speed, accuracy and efficiency in business.    We are joined by Michael O'Shaughnessy Digital Lead for Construc...

Discover how digitalisation has been woven into the fabrics of business and society, and how Irish engineers have risen to the challenge. In the first of a three-part series, three engineers at the forefront of their fields explore the acceleration in digital solutions, and how in a world changed by a global pandemic, digitalisation has redefined the way we work forever. To discuss this we are joi...

When you take a pill such as Anadin, you want to be very sure that what's going into your body is manufactured in the correct way. This is the precision required for pharmaceutical projects and an expert in that area joins our Amplified podcast today. In 25 years since first joining the PM Group, Peter Farrelly has had immeasurable multi-national experience working across the full life-cycle of pr...

Data centres are a fast-growing sector in engineering but can also be incredibly fast projects with timelines as short as a year. How do you work at that speed and still deliver quality and innovation? Winthrop Engineering has grown from being an MEP business in the nineties to delivering turnkey data centres all across Europe today, with a turnover expected to exceed €1bn in 2022. What is it like...

On this episode, we hear from an engineer at the top of his game. Ciaran McGovern, gives us an inside look at how Tobin’s long-established civil and structural engineering practice delivers for clients.  You’ll hear about some of the firm’s most cutting-edge projects – including the world’s largest sports air dome – and what’s ahead for the engineering sector in terms of Ireland’s climate action p...

Odran shares highlights of his career at the premier family-owned Coffey Group.  He reflects on his trajectory with the firm, favourite projects and most interesting challenges. The episode also looks ahead at the sustainability landscape, including a growing pressure to broaden the options available in terms of construction processes, materials and deployment.  You’ll hear about some fascinating...

With his long and varied history at JB Barry, Liam Prendiville has tremendous perspective to offer. Liam shares thoughts on some of his most captivating projects – ranging from decade-long roadway efforts to public transit extensions and cutting-edge wastewater treatment facilities. He also looks at the growing demand for environmental sustainability, a trend Liam believes will profoundly impact e...

The promise of renewables is exploding globally and engineering entrepreneurs like our guest on this episode of Amplify are right at the heart of the action!  Recently named an EY International Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, Jamie O’Rourke is sharing his perspective as CEO of Mainline Group, the leading utility solutions provider at the centre of the boom in solar, wind and other burgeoning gr...

Greg Hayden is a dynamic innovator who is all about reinvention and the power of keeping things fresh.  Over the course of the past 17 years Greg and his team at Ethos Engineering have ridden one wave after another in the constantly evolving tech space. On this episode of the Amplify podcast, he gives us a front-row view into what it looks like to go from boom to bust, pivot quickly and pioneer fr...

What misperceptions are young people harbouring about the field of engineering? Do they know about the exciting diversity of opportunities available out in the field?  Damien Owens believes that Ireland would benefit from broader education and apprenticeships to spread the word! “Engineering is a difficult subject to study but one of the best,” he says. “It opens up a whole variety of careers – an...