People First

Michael’s life has been shaped by energy and infrastructure. Growing up in the shadow of the peat-fired power station in Lanesboro, County Longford, from those very early years, his working life and education have been dedicated to advancing technologies in the engineering, power and renewables industry. A trained civil engineer, Michael Murray now has overall […]

Planning a complex military operation is second nature to Kirby’s Head of Learning and Development John Boylan. Having spent 12 years as an Officer in the Irish Defence Forces, he is used to creating, training and mobilising high-performing teams at home and abroad. It’s a skill set he has developed further through roles in the

In this #PeopleFirst, we speak to a woman working at the forefront of the renewable energy sector. Based in our Inverurie office, Brishay Stalker works across multiple projects to connect sustainable energy sources to the grid for SSE. She leads an agile team of six who design, construct, and upgrade new and existing substations across

As Kirby Group Engineering welcomes four new board members, we explore the career of Ruairí Ryan, Group Director of Operations. With nearly three decades of service at Kirby, Ruairí’s rise through the ranks is a testament to the company’s commitment to apprenticeships and its people-first culture. In our People First series of interviews, we explore

Over 30 years ago, Mark Flanagan joined Kirby as an electrician, unaware of the remarkable journey that lay ahead. Reflecting on that time, he remarked, “When I joined Kirby over 30 years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the journey ahead. At the time, I was focused on learning and doing the best job I could.

Speaking from our office in Cape Town, South Africa, he tells the story of the evolution of the global digital construction team, with specialists working on projects across Europe and the UK.   Paul has hand-selected more than 20 BIM (Building Information Modelling) specialists from varied and diverse backgrounds – ship building, architecture, steelwork, shop fabrication,

As young people across Ireland open their Leaving Cert results, we explore the early careers routes available to the next generation of engineering talent.In this #PeopleFirst interview we ask third-year Electrical Apprentice, Lennan Doyle, and Graduate Mechanical Engineer, Aisha Maida, the questions we are asked most by people exploring their early careers options. They share

As our people gear up to tackle the Kirby Way Cycle challenge again this year, we catch up with Senior Planning Manager Peter Kearns in our latest #PeopleFirst article.   For the last number of years, Peter has been our dedicated organiser, coordinating Get-Fit Challenges to support people in reaching their fitness goals, through activities

Site Manager Noel Norton is on the fast track to the next step in his career. We catch up with him in this #PeopleFirst as he explores his journey with Kirby so far. Noel joined Kirby as an Electrician nine years ago. Now a Site Manager, he has benefitted from more than 400 hours in

For Nikoleta Solueva, team safety culture remains the key to a safe site. In this #PeopleFirst, we headed to our data centre project in Gävle, Sweden, where Nikoleta and our safety team work with more than 300 Kirby employees, subcontractors, and the main contractor to establish an environment that prioritises safety and wellbeing. A site

As we continue to explore the people who have shaped and are shaping our business, we delve into strategy, sustainable business, and stability with Executive Chairman Jimmy Kirby. When you speak to Jimmy his passion for strategy is clear. Paired with his deep understanding of the M&E and construction industry, and his drive to ensure

As we mark International Women’s Day (March 8), we speak to Marketing Manager Claire Brennan about growing her career at Kirby, a dedication to young people in sport, and growing representation in STEM. Having been with Kirby for four years, Claire has seen Kirby’s growth first hand as she worked to promote and mark the

In this #PeopleFirst we speak to our Commercial Manager Yalin Tumbali, based out of our Dublin office, he works across a number of projects, overseeing their mechanical packages. Yalin joined Kirby in 2022, as he moved from Turkey to Ireland, seeking further experience in data centres. Incredibly experienced, he held a number of roles in

In this #PeopleFirst we speak to Helen Keogh, Payroll Manager, who, alongside Kirby, turns 60 this year. Helen first joined us in Limerick in 1983 at 19 years old to work on the reception. “We had an office in Thomondgate, it was a converted house and shop. At that point we had around 80 employees,

We speak to Brendan Coffey, Kirby’s Operations Manager for the Leinster region, as he celebrates nine years with us. He joined Kirby as a Senior Project Manager in December 2014 to manage the Telecity data centre project in Dublin. He reflects: “The company was much smaller at that point; we turned over around €165m. At

In this #PeopleFirst we speak to Aidan McAuliffe, our Procurement Manager for Europe. Having worked in procurement for over 15 years, he’s worked with Kirby for the last six years to develop supply chains and material supplier arrangements across the continent. His background at Kerry Group, Nestle and Bord Gáis has supported Kirby’s expansion, as

Kirby is proud of its people-first approach, which has seen many of its top team grow their careers with the company. It’s this approach that has seen us invest heavily in growing the next generation of engineering talent, with more than 200 apprentices currently employed. Cathal Hanley joined Kirby in 2019 as an Electrical Apprentice

In this #PeopleFirst interview we speak to Michelle Madden, Senior Estimating Co-ordinator at Kirby. There is always that one person in an organisation; the one that everyone goes to when they need to know something. For Kirby, that person is Michelle Madden. She has been with us for 22 years and has trained up numerous

We speak to HR Business Partner Michelle Powell, in advance of International Women in Engineering Day on the 23rd of June. Overseeing Kirby’s apprenticeship and outreach programmes, she champions women in engineering in schools and colleges across Ireland. Kirby has worked in partnership with Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) for 10 years, delivering outreach

In this #PeopleFirst series we catch up with Declan Gavin, Group Electrical Estimating Manager for our Low Voltage (LV) and Power (T&D) business units. Heading up a large team, he has been with Kirby for more than 15 years and has seen the business grow and develop into the company it is today. “Kirby has

In this #PeopleFirst we catch up with Kirby’s Operations Manager for Munster. He celebrates 33 years with us this year and talks about the growth of the company from 60 direct employees in 1990 to 1,400 in 2023. He is proud of his part in the tale, at the front of many firsts, including the

“Every Kirby colleague has a story of how the company has helped them personally or professionally,” says Paralegal Executive Suzanne Kirwan In this #PeopleFirst article we speak to Suzanne Kirwan as she celebrates the completion of her barrister training at King’s Inn, Dublin. The soon-to-be barrister has spent the last year studying for the bar

We sit down with Kyle Hayes as the Limerick hurling team celebrates its third All-Ireland title in a row. “Limerick is one of the most exciting places to be right now, the atmosphere is palpable,” says HR Officer and Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes, as we interview him for our #PeopleFirst series. He is settling back

“I can’t tell you how easy Kirby made the transition for us,” says HR Officer Melandri van Zyl as she talks to us for our #PeopleFirst series. Sitting next to her is her husband and co-worker André, Senior Cost Engineer, as they discuss their move across the world from South Africa to Limerick, Ireland. “I

In this #PeopleFirst we catch up with Leroy Walker, one of Kirby’s youngest project managers as he hands over a new clean room to our longstanding client, medical device manufacturer Boston Scientific. The 34-year-old father of two started with Kirby in 2006 as an Electrical Apprentice. He has progressed through the ranks, from Site Supervisor,

To many in Kirby, Stephen Brennan is known as a beguiling Site Manager from Glinsk, County Galway and to many around the country, he’s known as Stephen from DIY SOS, the Electrical Foreman with the hearty laugh and the cheeky grin. Whether it’s having the laughs with Baz and the gang or working insane hours

We continue our #PeopleFirst series with Turnover Engineer Cova Fernandez. Speaking from her home office in Dublin, she enthuses about BIM 360 and the transformation it has delivered to the industry over the last 10 years and discusses flexible working as a mum of two. Joining Kirby in 2015 as Technical Bid Lead, she’s now