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Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED

Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED

Auteur(s): Engineers Journal Ireland
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 Keep pace with the engineering industry in Ireland and abroad with Engineers Journal, the voice of the engineering community in Ireland and beyond. Each episode brings you thought-provoking one-on-one discussions with industry leaders who share stories on favourite projects and greatest challenges, what the future may hold for the industry and advice on how to progress your career.© 2026 Engineers Journal Ireland Développement commercial et entrepreneuriat Entrepreneurship Gestion et leadership Économie
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  • Siobhán McHugh: The Future of the Irish Grid

    Siobhán McHugh: The Future of the Irish Grid
    Mar 2 2026

    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, examining the future makeup of the Irish power system, the explosive growth of solar power, and how data and artificial intelligence are revolutionising asset management. We also look at the evolving role of engineers, the importance of complementary commercial skills, and how to advance your career in the sector.

    Joining the discussion is Siobhán McHugh, Director and the Energy and Utilities Consulting Lead at PwC Ireland, and the current Chairperson of the Energy, Environment and Climate Action Division at Engineers Ireland. Her experience spans regulation, grid operation, and strategic consulting.

    THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

    Career progression diverse energy roles
    AI data transforming asset management
    Solar generation exceeded cost projections
    Infrastructure delivery policy advocacy
    Human skills complement technical expertise

    GUEST DETAILS

    Siobhán McHugh is a Director and the Energy and Utilities Consulting Lead at PwC Ireland, where she advises clients in the electricity, water, and gas sectors on large-scale digital and energy transformation projects. Her expertise draws heavily on her deep operational background from EirGrid and a regulatory background from the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), giving her a rare whole-system view of the industry. She also serves as the current Chairperson of the Energy, Environment and Climate Action Division at Engineers Ireland.

    Connect with Siobhán:

    PUBLIC CONTACT DETAILS
    www.pwc.ie/industries/energy-and-renewables/team.html
    Social Media:
    www.linkedin.com/in/siobhanmchugh/?originalSubdomain=ie

    MORE INFORMATION

    Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/
    Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.

    QUOTES

    So I'd say a lot of the challenges probably have a hidden positive in them, in that it's an advancement in technology, but it's just about figuring it out. - Siobhán McHugh
    You're always working with people, and so that is the piece of experience. I think you need to help build your younger colleagues. - Siobhán McHugh
    If I think of solar energy when we would have been modelling it, it was completely different cost basis, solar was quite expensive. That cost has come down now. - Siobhán McHugh

    KEYWORDS

    #EnergyTransition #IrishGrid #EngineeringCareers #DataAndAI #ClimateAction
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    38 min
  • Sustainable Swords Strategy Transportation Planning|Danny Pio Murphy

    Sustainable Swords Strategy Transportation Planning|Danny Pio Murphy
    Feb 2 2026

    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 manuals existed, how DBFI Consulting Engineers achieved gold accreditation investors for diversity with 85% inclusivity score, and why half LGBT engineers remain closeted through fear despite marriage equality referendum changing Irish society fundamentally.


    The chartered transportation engineer, associate director at DBFL Consulting Engineers and former chair of engineers Ireland inclusion diversity society discusses mentoring graduates through four year development programmes, intelligent mobility hubs coming online Cork Docklands, and why people skills matter as much as technical expertise when moving from engineer to leadership.


    THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT


    • Kids want safer routes school cycling tracks greening
    • Greenfield sites test new infrastructure before manuals exist
    • Half LGBT engineers closeted through fear workplace safety
    • Gold diversity accreditation 85% inclusivity score achieved
    • Intelligent mobility hubs drone technology electric charging future


    GUEST DETAILS


    Danny Pio Murphy is chartered transportation engineer and associate director at DBFL Consulting Engineers, leading sustainable Swords strategy transforming town into 100,000 person city and plumburroughs strategic development zone creating 23,000 residents with 25,000 jobs.


    A former LGBT activist for nine years giving wellbeing lectures across Ireland and UK, he chaired Engineers Ireland inclusion diversity society and helped DBFL achieve gold accreditation investors for diversity held by only 28 organisations nationally.


    His achievements include pioneering protected cycle infrastructure before Irish design manuals existed, increasing company female representation from low base to quarter over five years, and mentoring graduates through four year chartership development programmes whilst supporting diversity networks across 30 nationalities.


    Connect with Danny:


    • PUBLIC CONTACT DETAILS
      Website: www.dbfl.ie
    • Social Media:
      www.linkedin.com/in/dannypiomurphy/?originalSubdomain=ie


    MORE INFORMATION


    Looking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering?

    Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/


    Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.


    QUOTES


    • "We're facing a great challenge here in engineering, because we're facing a housing crisis, a climate change crisis, biodiversity crisis. We need everyone on board to help us with that, and we need different points of views and a diversity of thought for new solutions. - Danny Pio Murphy
    • The kids were saying that they want safer routes to school, cycle tracks. They wanted more public transport and actually more greening around our town as well. They were very environmentally conscious. They wanted more seating areas and greening. It was really good to hear that. They're always so positive. - Danny Pio Murphy
    • There's a lot of things that we as engineers can see on paper and we're following standards, but the local knowledge is indispensable at times, and you can include that in your designs. - Danny Pio Murphy
    • We got gold accreditation in investors for diversity by Irish Centre for diversity. It's only held by 28 organisations in the country. - Danny Pio Murphy
    • "My first job interview, I had LGBT on my CV. The person doing the interview didn't read my CV, and when they got there, they stopped for 10 seconds in silence, and they were very uncomfortable seeing that I was an LGBT activist and I didn't get the job. - Danny Pio Murphy


    KEYWORDS


    #SustainableTransport #DiversityInEngineering #LGBTEngineers #IntelligentMobility #CycleInfrastructure
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    43 min
  • Susan McGarry: Low Carbon Cement Decarbonising Construction

    Susan McGarry: Low Carbon Cement Decarbonising Construction
    Jan 5 2026
    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 pictures to becoming youngest MD at 30 years old, how ACT advanced cement technology reduces clinker from 85% to under 30% achieving 600 kilos CO2 savings per tonne, why Irish regulatory system lacks assessment route for new low carbon materials despite ambitious National Development Plan targets, and how cancer diagnosis at 34 prompted reflection on policy passion over operational leadership.With expertise spanning technical concrete troubleshooting through European policy advocacy and member of Engineers Ireland Women in Engineering Group, Susan shares practical advice on visibility without egotism, why nice girls who don't ask get nothing, and how senior management diversity influences maternity leave, IVF cover and bereavement policies attracting retaining women throughout career pipeline. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUTLow carbon cement ACT reduces clinker eighty five percentIrish regulatory system lacks assessment route new materialsWomen engineering eleven percent unchanged since two thousand elevenVisibility senior management influences hiring maternity IVF policiesCancer diagnosis thirty four prompted policy passion reflectionGUEST DETAILSSusan McGarry is Managing Director for Ireland at Ecocem, pioneering company developing low carbon concrete, expertly handling concrete procurement rules and public affairs guiding construction industry toward ambitious climate targets whilst scaling sustainable building solutions across Ireland. Passionate advocate for diversity as prominent woman in structures and construction sector historically low on female engineers, she uses platform driving inclusion highlighting systemic barriers women face from cultural challenges to logistical issues like accessible female bathrooms on construction sites. Member of Engineers Ireland Women in Engineering Group, she joined Ecocem as environmental services intern in 2011 becoming youngest MD at 30 years old in 2020, now serving as Director of Public Affairs and Sustainability for Ecocem Global after cancer diagnosis prompted career reflection focusing on policy passion over operational leadership spanning European officials and global partnerships.Connect with Susan McGarry:Website: https://www.ecocemglobal.com/en-ie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-mcgarry-73582542/?originalSubdomain=ieEcocem GlobalMORE INFORMATIONLooking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/ Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.QUOTESThere's still not enough women to see it on mass as a career choice. I think visually, it still looks quite male dominated, and that is off putting. My personal kind of goal would have always been to like help increase the visibility at senior management level for women in engineering, women in construction. - Susan McGarryThe state is the biggest consumer of concrete in this country. We do have procurement rules now where 30% clinker substitution is required. That's not super ambitious but we've gone from nothing to something. - Susan McGarryI had a decision to be a generalist or specialist at about 26. The Chairman of Ecocem said I did this course in UCD in industrial engineering in 1965, it turned engineers into CEOs. You should have a look at that. - Susan McGarryYou get nothing if you don't ask, and if you don't have confidence, you kind of fake it. By being an open person to opportunities and being a helpful person that you'll take on workload. - Susan McGarryWhen I graduated as an engineer in 2011, 11% of the engineering population was made up of women. In 2025 it's still only 11%. It has not changed. That's a very small percentage. When you want a network, you do need a network. You need somebody that you can pick up a phone to that's kind of like minded. Women in Engineering Group created that network.KEYWORDSLowCarbonCement #WomenInEngineering #SustainableConstruction #PolicyAdvocacy #CareerProgression
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    43 min
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