Construction BUSINESS

The redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh has been voted national Engineering Project of the Year for 2017 at eighth Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards. The regeneration of the stadium, home of Cork City and County GAA activities since it was established in 1898, has resulted in a multi-purpose floodlit bowl-shaped venue that can accommodate a capacity of 45,300 and up to 47,000 for games and concerts respectively, including 21,300 seats.

It also includes a second 4G playing pitch and multi-purpose usage of space to cater for different activities on match and non-match days to support income generation. Pairc Uí Chaoimh is now the first stadium in Ireland within a municipal park, the Marina Park.

The project, supported by its owner, Cork County GAA Board, and Cork City Council, developer of The Marina Park,  was undertaken by Malachy Walsh and Partners and won out in the flagship category of the eighth annual Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards, held in association with ESB, at a ceremony in the InterContinental Hotel in Dublin.  The Engineering Project of the Year category is sponsored by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and is voted for by a panel of judges and the public.

Speaking about the development, Seamus Kelly Managing Director, Malachy Walsh and Partners, said: “Pairc Uí Chaoimh is a long-established sports ground with a unique heritage, but by 2013 it was clear it required extensive redevelopment if it was to continue as a venue for major games and concerts. The work we have undertaken with our partners over the last few years has been a huge endeavour, but one that has culminated in a modern facility that has the capacity to host multiple forms of revenue-generating activities to support the region.  Now an impressive state-of-the-art facility situated on the banks of the River Lee, it is set to provide a wonderful player and spectator experience for many years to come and we are thrilled to have the project recognised by the public and the Engineers Ireland judges.”

In other award categories, Captain Eoghan Carton won the prestigious ‘Chartered Engineer of the Year Award’ for his work relating to the changeover of combat engineering, infrastructure and utilities from Finland to Ireland as part of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon).  The ‘Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award’ was won jointly by the Dublin City Council/The Office of Public Works for The South Campshire Flood Protection Project in Dublin, and by Limerick City and County Council for its smarter travel scheme promoting walking and cycling as alternative modes of transport.

Pat O’Doherty, ESB Chief Executive, said: “It is vital Ireland has a ready supply of engineering skills to support vital infrastructural development across areas such as transport, education, sports, health, water, energy and the digital economy amongst others.  That’s why the continuing promotion of engineering as a career choice is fundamental to meeting Ireland’s long-term needs as an economy and society.  This year’s awards showcase projects and initiatives that exhibit great expertise in a diversity of areas and represent the ingenuity and vibrancy that is the hallmark of modern Irish engineering – and I applaud them all.”

The UMASW project on underwater analysis of surface waves by APEX Geoservices Ltd and the UCD School of Civil Engineering won the ‘Geoscience Ireland Award’, while the Development of SolarWhite, a project on satellite thermal control, by ENBIO Ltd and the UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, won the ‘Technical Innovation of the Year Award’ category.

NUI Galway Professor William Gerard Hurley won the ‘Best Presentation Award’ for his Challenges and Trends in Magnetics for Power Electronics project, while the National Gallery of Ireland Historical Wings Restoration and Refurbishment project by PUNCH Consulting, won the ‘Heritage and Conservation Award’.  Johnson & Johnson Campus Ireland won the ‘CPD Employer of the Year Award’. The Engineering Education ‘Best in Class’ Award was won by DIT’s College of Engineering and Built Environment for their entry about creating holistic engineers to solve future challenges.

Speaking at the awards, Caroline Spillane, Engineers Ireland Director General, said: “This year’s awards once again showcase and celebrate the invaluable contribution the engineering profession makes to society.  Engineering is at the heart of community and culture in Ireland and, on behalf of Engineers Ireland, I offer congratulations to each winner and shortlisted entrant, as the projects involved all highlight the innovation and quality of work that is continuously produced by Irish engineers both at home and abroad.”

• Redevelopment of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Centre of Excellence, by Malachy Walsh and Partners