Engineers Ireland Amplified

Ireland's energy transition demands a new calibre of engineering leadership and talent to secure its critical infrastructure for the future. The challenge is not just technical; it is about cultivating a culture of safety, innovation, and diverse perspectives across the sector. This episode explores the pivotal role of engineers in making high-stakes decisions, transforming safety from a rule to a...

Many talented engineers hesitate to move abroad, fearing they will lose career momentum and disconnect from the vibrant Irish engineering community. However, an Irish engineering degree is in fact a global passport, opening doors to innovation on an international scale while maintaining strong Irish roots. This special mini-series explores how Irish engineers successfully navigate international ma...

Mega projects often struggle under their own sheer weight, leading to massive budget overruns, stakeholder conflict, and unmanaged complexity. The challenge lies in managing change ruthlessly while maintaining safety and quality across vast, long-term undertakings. This episode explores the disciplined mindset required to deliver major infrastructure on time and on budget, focusing on "right-to-le...

Engineers spend too much time fixing broken data instead of focusing on high-level design. This inefficiency, known as workflow friction, is a major enemy of modern construction projects. This episode explores how intelligent automation and verified software can eliminate manual rework and enhance global collaboration. We discuss the crucial challenge of trust between engineers and fabricators, th...

Building and maintaining Ireland's vital coastal infrastructure requires facing the relentless challenge of climate change and rising sea levels. Protecting the country's six dedicated fishery harbour centres and their multi-million euro capital programme demands innovative engineering and strict public spending compliance. This episode explores the high-stakes engineering required to adapt harbou...

Achieving Ireland's ambitious decarbonisation goals and meeting climate action targets requires massive investment and innovative engineering solutions across the energy sector. This is compounded by the increasing digitisation of our infrastructure and the need to deliver reliable power to a growing economy. This conversation explores the strategic response to the climate and energy crisis, exami...

Engineering faces housing crisis, climate change crisis and biodiversity crisis simultaneously requiring everyone onboard with diversity of thought for new solutions. Danny Pio Murphy shares how sustainable swords strategy engaged 800 school children and hundreds of adults through covid restrictions, why plumburroughs greenfield site allowed testing protected cycle infrastructure before design man...

Construction sector faces urgent decarbonisation challenge whilst Ireland maintains only 11% women in engineering unchanged since 2011 despite ambitious housing and infrastructure targets requiring diverse workforce expansion. Susan McGarry, Managing Director for Ireland at Ecocem pioneering low carbon concrete company, explains journey from Greenpeace member receiving Rainbow Warrior dolphin pict...

Successfully transitioning from university to a professional engineering career is a critical moment for any graduate, and the application process requires strategic preparation beyond just academic competence. Many students struggle to understand what employers truly seek in a new engineer and how to showcase their potential effectively. This episode unlocks the secrets to a standout graduate app...

Leaving Certificate students have an exciting opportunity to explore the diverse realities of an engineering career and discover practical strategies for success as they fill out their upcoming CAO forms. Ena O'Driscoll, Mechanical Engineering student at MTU Cork and Student Ambassador at PM Group, alongside Sean Ryan, Automation Engineering student at SETU and Student Engineer at Jabil, share the...

Managing billion-euro construction projects across multiple continents requires more than technical expertise—it demands strategic planning that can unite diverse teams around complex, evolving designs.  From Formula One theme parks in Dubai's desert heat to Sweden's groundbreaking European Spallation Source research facility, construction planning specialist Enda Grimes has spent two decades mast...

Two recent engineering graduates, Jennifer Smith (Manufacturing Operations Engineer) and Denis Hardi (Graduate Commissioning Engineer), share essential advice for students considering engineering.  They emphasise that internships are vital for discovering career preferences across diverse fields like pharma and civil engineering, making the flexibility of the degree its greatest asset.  Their key...

When Rana Plaza collapsed in Bangladesh killing over 1,200 garment workers in April 2013, two Irish engineers found themselves at the centre of literally redefining global worker safety standards.  Aidan Madden from Arup and Colm Quinn, now Head of Operations for the International Accord, reveal how they developed "optimal ignorance" methodology assessing 2,500+ factories at unprecedented scale, w...

Brendan Kearns is a former chartered engineer at eircom who shares remarkable stories from our connected world in his new book Evolution of Telecommunications.  From Bell's accidental discovery of the telephone while trying to improve telegraph systems to Ireland's transformation from 50% manual exchanges in 1979 to today's fiber networks, Brendan reveals the engineering breakthroughs that built m...

In this episode of Amplified, Dusty Rhodes is joined by Eamon Daly, Director at Egis Engineering Ireland, to explore the realities of delivering Ireland’s most vital infrastructure.  From motorways and tunnels to Luas extensions and the future of MetroLink, Eamon shares stories from over 27 years in engineering. He explains the challenges of balancing deadlines, budgets, sustainability, and resour...

In this inspiring episode of Amplified: The Engineers Journal Podcast , aerospace engineer and entrepreneur Stephen Ringler , Managing Director of Space Store , shares his journey from working on NASA’s Juno mission to launching a space-themed retail and education company in the UK. Host Dusty Rhodes delves into Stephen's early fascination with space, his experiences navigating large-scale enginee...

In this episode of Amplified, we wrap up our special mini-series on sustainability with an episode discussing the importance of mindset shifts in achieving Ireland's 2030 renewable energy targets.  Henry Boucher and Terry Wilkinson, experts in renewable and civil engineering respectively, emphasise the impact of small changes in sustainability.  Terry highlights cost-effective measures like wildli...

In this second episode of our Amplified sustainability series, host Dusty Rhodes dives deep into the future of sustainable transport in Ireland. With the 2030 emissions deadline fast approaching, the focus turns to engineering, political will, and social change needed to revolutionise Ireland’s transportation system.  Joining Dusty are Professor Brian Caulfield, a leading transportation researcher...

In this episode of Amplified , host Dusty Rhodes kicks off a special mini-series on sustainability with a powerful conversation about engineering’s critical role in achieving Ireland’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He’s joined by Niamh Breslin of IDA Ireland and Richard Manton from the University of Galway.  Together, they explore the reality of decarbonisation, grid resilience, and the tr...

Engineering has always been about solving problems—but today’s problems are bigger, greener, and more complex than ever before. From cutting carbon in concrete to tunnelling under major cities, the pressure is on to build infrastructure that’s not just strong, but sustainable. In this episode, we explore what it really takes to deliver major engineering projects while meeting ambitious climate tar...

Building a stronger “Ireland Inc” means rethinking how we plan, deliver, and promote our engineering and infrastructure capabilities on a global stage. Today, we’re diving into how Ireland can overcome some of its most pressing infrastructure delivery challenges—from modernizing procurement strategies to fostering more inclusive and resilient engineering teams. We’ll also explore why staff wellbei...

What does it take to stay at the cutting edge of technology while also fostering innovation, sustainability, and personal growth?  Today, we explore how one global powerhouse continues to reinvent itself in Ireland through groundbreaking projects, strategic acquisitions, and a deep investment in people. From historic feats like the Ardnacrusha hydroelectric scheme to the rise of digital and AI, th...

Building in highly dense city centers presents a unique set of challenges—tight spaces, heavy traffic, and the need to preserve historical structures while meeting modern safety and sustainability standards.  Today we hear from an experienced engineer turned project manager who is an expert in navigating these complex logistics, from coordinating material deliveries with precision to ensuring that...

The engineering industry thrives on innovation and problem-solving, yet it continues to struggle with one persistent challenge—gender diversity. Women remain underrepresented, particularly in leadership roles, leaving many aspiring female engineers wondering how to break through. Today, we tackle this pressing issue head-on with insights from one of Ireland’s leading engineering voices. We uncover...

Often in engineering we focus on the technical, production parts of a project, but it is the people who make the projects. As a leader, learning to support those people is vital.  Today we hear from a prominent engineer who through his work in ground engineering, consulting, operations, HR and business, has gained many skills in managing and leading people. He believes safety, quality, inclusion a...