CIVIL ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION ATU DONEGAL

Architectural Technology & Construction Management Students Take in the ‘Sites’ and Scenery of Dublin!

many “firsts”. She was the first female to referee a men's Senior County Final in November 2021; in February 2022, she became the first female to referee in the National League; and in May 2022, she became the first female to referee men's InterCounty Football.

Maggie is firmly established in her position as a referee and balances this role with her role as Education and Training Coordinator at the Donegal Sports Partnership.

During her time at ATU, Maggie was a Sports Scholarship holder, and was also awarded ‘Student of the Year’ in the Department of Tourism & Sport. Her time at ATU played a significant factor in building her confidence and skills needed to develop her career in sport.

She attributes her time at ATU as having firmly established her skills, knowledge and talent in sport.

Maggie commented, “The supports you are provided with at ATU are incredible, from the librarian to the student union, ATU stands out. I often think if I had of chosen to go to a larger traditional university, I wouldn’t have been able to stand out the way I did at ATU.

I am so proud of what I achieved at ATU and I cannot recommend the department enough. If you are interested in studying sport, ATU Donegal is an incredible place to progress your career. When I look back,

I am so glad I started my university journey at ATU.”

From the Classroom to the Boardroom, O’Reilly Sports

Steven O’Reilly, graduated from ATU Donegal in 2014, and following completion of his studies in the Donegal campus, he progressed to University of Limerick to complete the Professional Master of Education

Academia meets Industry!

(Physical Education).

Steven always had a keen eye and interest in sportswear and a passion for sport. This passion, accompanied by the dream of running his own business, led to the birth of O’Reilly Sports, which was formed in 2017 by brothers Martin and Steven O’Reilly. The business fundamentals from his undergraduate qualification in Sports Coaching and Development significantly supported Stephen’s transition from the classroom to the boardroom. Modules such as business management and web design came in useful when Steven was developing O’Reilly Sports. By the end of 2023, O’Reilly’s Sports hopes to have over 20 staff, servicing both the domestic and international sportswear markets from Donegal to America, Tipperary to Australia.

Key to Steven’s success has been his focus on hard-work, commitment and a passion for sport. “Without passion, the company would not have succeeded.”

He further commented, “My experience studying at ATU provided me with the core elements needed to run a successful business, I really enjoyed my experience at ATU and still liaise with my lecturers for support and advice. Having belief and passion, which is instilled in you at ATU, has been critical to my success.”

Our first year Culinary Arts students prepared a fabulous “Afternoon Tea” event at the ATU Killybegs campus in March, one of the many inhouse live experiences that students enjoy in the culinary arts programme.

The students who hosted and catered the event opened the doors of the Killybegs campus restaurant and delighted the taste buds of the 110 people in attendance. Students served platters full of sweet and savoury appetisers, from sandwiches, scones and pastries for all guest to enjoy. If you would like to find out more about the BA (Ord) in Culinary Arts, visit www.atu.ie/AU220

Killybegs Students Raise €500 for Mary’s Meals

Architectural Technology & Construction Management students from ATU Donegal partook in a two-day busy visit to Dublin in March, organised by lecturers Anna Meehan and Karol Dempsey.

As ATU Donegal values the importance of site visits in Architectural and Construction education, the itinerary for the two-day trip was filled with visiting several key projects which had emphasis on Architecture, Performance, Innovation, Modern Methods of Construction and BIM.

As part of the visit, Donal Murphy from Robinson Keefe & Devane (RKD) gave a wonderfully detailed tour of four new and retrofit projects they are currently working on or have completed in UCD. Joseph Little and Barry McCauley also welcomed ATU to TU Dublin and gave a tour of the historic and contemporary buildings that make up the Grangegorman campus for TU Dublin. Additionally, Bryan Sheils presented 26 York Street and the recently commenced link building for the Royal

College of Surgeons (RCSI) by Henry J Lyons.

To round off the trip, Ger Hayes and Darragh Ryan from Extec MMC presented residential projects in Maynooth and Portmarnock, giving detailed insight to how MMC is revolutionising the industry and delivering quality at much greater speed than traditional construction.

To find out more about BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology, visit www.atu.ie/AU343 and for BSc (Hons) in Construction Management, visit www.atu.ie/AU342

Engineering Graduate Opportunities that span as far as the Arctic

Graduates from ATU Donegal Department of Civil Engineering & Construction have been availing of global career opportunities due to strong links between the department and global engineer contractor, ‘Jones Engineering’.

Graduates from Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and Fire Safety programmes have successfully taken up graduate roles and travelled to international countries, some as far as the Arctic, to work in unique sites. Jones Engineering employees work in extreme conditions including arctic climates, extreme heat, offshore oil rigs, and tunnelling under rivers and cities.

The company offers individuals an opportunity to begin and grow their careers. They have an annual training budget of €2million and encourage all their employees to attend internal and external training courses on a regular basis.

Conor Doherty, ATU Donegal graduate is a Project Engineer working for Jones Engineering on a project in Copenhagen but has just finished a project in Sweden at the Artic Circle. Conor graduated in 2022 with a BSc (Hons) in Construction Management. Conor says; “I started with Jones Engineering last year as a Project Engineer. The company is well set up and I was offered a lot of different opportunities to work in Ireland or projects in mainland Europe. I like to travel so I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to work and see some of Europe, and it’s working well. Standing out on the frozen river looking up at the northern lights is something most people will never get to do, but this job has awarded me that opportunity.”

ATU Donegal and Donegal County Council have partnered up to give BEng Civil Engineering students work placement opportunities.

All civil engineering students will gain onthe-job training one day per week during the winter semester of their final year. This work placement is made possible by the support of Donegal County Council engineering staff who organise placements throughout the county –including road construction projects, local area offices and the National Roads Office.

Third year Civil Engineering Students marked the launch of the new placement programme in November with Donegal County Council, including Chief Executive John McLaughlin. If you would like to find out more about the BEng (Ord) in Civil Engineering, visit www.atu.ie/AU241

Well done to our second and third year Culinary Arts students along with our first year Hospitality Management students on the recent Millennium Restaurant Charity Lunch which has raised vital funds for Mary's Meals! The students served a beautiful lunch and raised an amazing €500. Fr. Kelly informed the team in Killybegs that these funds will feed and educate 27 children in the locality.

“I’m very glad I undertook and completed the Construction Management Level 8 programme. There is a lot of tough subjects, but when I look back, I can see how they are useful to me in my work environment. I really enjoyed learning from lecturers who came from industry as they brought so much knowledge to the programme, and I am using what they taught me every day. I would recommend this programme to anyone looking to get into construction. It’s given me great opportunities to be on-site and start working my way towards a management role.”

Anthony McElwee, ATU lecturer, fostered close ties with the company and is passionate about taking his learnings from industry to the classroom. Anthony worked in engineering roles and has been an employee with Jones Engineering for several years. Working in a variety of roles across Ireland, Canada, and Europe, his depth of knowledge and experience provides valuable teaching and insights to students on the programmes.

“I am delighted that our graduates can work in Ireland or International countries on good pay scales and are exposed to large scale technology and pharmaceutical projects. These graduates will start as site engineers and can gradually work their way up to lead engineers, supervisory and managerial roles.”

“In recent years I have been project manager on several large-scale engineering projects, and I see first-hand the importance of educating and training strong graduates to take up positions within the company. I’m delighted that sharing my experiences as a lecturer and working closely with Jones Engineering equips students with the necessary skill set to move successfully into real-life working environments”, enthuses Anthony.

ATU Donegal Department Civil Engineering and Construction second year students visited the construction site for the new Little Angels school. The students on this field trip were studying modules on Advanced Construction Technology and Site Organisation and this site visit provided invaluable insight into the practical application of theory delivered in these two modules.

Boyle Construction kindly accommodated two visits which gave students an opportunity to see both the early stage of construction and later the progress of internal structure, installation of steelwork and completion of aspects of the building envelope. Boyle Construction and Client Clerk of Works lead the visit, outlining the challenges faced in delivering a bespoke school and explained design rationale in terms of day-to-day functionality, adaptability and future maintenance. Thanks again to Boyle Construction for facilitating the site visit.

Students win “Best 3rd Year Project" prize - Sponsored by Alchemy Technology Services