Maeve O'Reilly, Senior Environmental Engineer at Gas Networks Ireland, has been confirmed as a member of the judging panel for the Engineering Excellence Awards 2026, bringing expertise in environmental management of engineering projects, biodiversity, and sustainable engineering to the evaluation of excellence across Ireland's engineering industry.

O'Reilly manages the environmental deliverables on transmission pipeline projects at Gas Networks Ireland, one of Europe's most modern and renewables-ready gas networks, work that demands a command of environmental compliance, project delivery, and sustainability in engineering within complex, large-scale infrastructure programmes. 

That grounding in the practical realities of embedding environmental responsibility into engineering design and project delivery gives her an evaluator's perspective directly relevant to a programme that spans the full breadth of the engineering industry, from civil engineering and infrastructure to sustainable engineering and renewable energy.

Her career prior to Gas Networks Ireland reinforces a profile built on cross-sector breadth. O'Reilly contributed to national wastewater strategies at Uisce Éireann and served as an EPA Inspector across a diverse range of industrial sectors. These are the roles that developed her regulatory and strategic understanding of environmental management across engineering companies and public utilities that extends well beyond any single engineering discipline or project type.

Her academic formation is equally extensive. O'Reilly holds two Masters degrees in biodiversity from the University of Galway and Imperial College London, a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Engineering from Trinity College Dublin, and a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural and Environmental Science from UCD. These qualifications give her a scientific grounding in sustainability in engineering and biodiversity that few engineering practitioners can match.

The Engineering Excellence Awards 2026 spans 22 categories recognising outstanding achievement across civil engineering, sustainable engineering, infrastructure engineering, renewable energy, manufacturing, and engineering innovation. 

O'Reilly joins a panel that includes Judging Coordinator Matt Cotterell of MTU, Professor Brian Caulfield of Trinity College Dublin, Dr Brian Deegan of the University of Galway, Dr Brooke Tornifoglio of Trinity College Dublin, Dr John Mulvihill of the University of Limerick, Daniel Clarke Hagan of ATU, Niall Hanley of JJ Rhatigan, James McNamara of TUS, Dr Morteza Tabatabaeipour of Ulster University, Tom Rowan of Rowan Engineering, and Barry Williams of Mott MacDonald Ireland.

The awards gala will take place on 21 October 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry.

Visit the official Engineering Excellence Awards website to explore last year's shortlist, review category details, and subscribe to the newsletter for updates ahead of the shortlist announcement.