Celebrating 70 years of Mott MacDonald’s engineering excellence in Ireland

Barry Williams recounts the milestones that have shaped our legacy across Ireland

The Jack Lynch tunnel in Cork, the Clonmel Flood Relief Scheme and Central Quad at TU Dublin are all projects that have highlighted Mott MacDonald’s successful presence in the Irish market. Nonetheless, our company’s heritage on the island of Ireland is much broader and we have recently marked our 70th anniversary in the region with celebratory events in Belfast, Cork and Dublin.

These events brought together staff and clients to honour our shared achievements over the last seven decades. What was clear to me from those celebrations was that, from transportation to energy, buildings to water, our projects reflect a commitment to excellence and societal impact.

How we started in Ireland

While the Mott MacDonald name has evolved through acquisitions in Ireland, our commitment to excellence and innovation has remained strong throughout our 70-year history. Our journey in Ireland began in 1954 when Ted Pettit founded E G Pettit & Co. in Cork, establishing a firm foothold in industrial, pharmaceutical, and water projects, before becoming part of Mott MacDonald in 2006.  Also in the mid-1950s Waterhouse & Rounthwaite, which was predominantly focused on water engineering, opened in Belfast, later becoming part of Sir M MacDonald & Partners (now part of the Mott MacDonald family) when it was acquired in 1977.

In 1959, De Leuw Chadwick O'hEocha was formed, symbolising the collaboration of three visionary partners from Canada, England and Ireland. Over the years, this Dublin-based consultancy became a cornerstone of our operations as a result of a series of acquisitions, contributing significantly to the civil engineering landscape. The journey into becoming part of Mott MacDonald started in 1990 when the firm was acquired by Ewbank Preece, a UK-based power and energy consultancy seeking to expand its civil and structural capabilities. This acquisition led to the formation of Ewbank Preece O'hEocha in Ireland, which Mott MacDonald acquired four years later in a strategic move to enhance our multi-disciplinary offerings, particularly in the power sector.

Other strategic acquisitions that have further enriched our presence include the buy out of Williamson Brown Crozier Wyatt in 1986, followed by Abbott & Partners in 1990 and Franklin & Andrews in 2000, which added specialised cost consultancy skills to our offer to the Irish market.

Working with purpose

Having spent the last year looking back over our 70-year history in the island of Ireland, every project we have delivered aligns with our purpose today. As a business we aim to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do; relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, and transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities. Taking this approach has served the environment and society well over the last 70 years and we are committed to continuing working with our clients to bring positive social value to society, benefiting everyone.

Thank you for being part of our journey.