Margaret Dolan of Waterman Moylan has been named winner of the Women in Engineering Award at the Engineering Excellence Awards 2026, recognised for a 45-year career that has combined technical excellence, engineering leadership and mentorship.

A Chartered Building Services Engineer, Dolan was the first female Chair of CIBSE Ireland and is a CIBSE Bronze Medal recipient. Her work has helped shape Ireland's built environment, while her commitment to professional development has supported future generations of engineers.

Judges said: "Margaret Dolan's career reflects more than four decades of engineering leadership, technical achievement and professional service. Her progression into senior leadership and role as the first female Chair of CIBSE Ireland highlight her pioneering influence within the profession. Her work shaping industry standards, leading major projects and mentoring engineers has created a lasting impact, particularly through her commitment to supporting women and developing future leaders in engineering."

The Engineering Excellence Awards recognise outstanding achievement across civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing and sustainable engineering, and across renewable energy and engineering innovation. Winners were announced at the awards gala on 21 October 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry.

Entries were assessed by an independent judging panel drawn from academia and industry, coordinated by Matt Cotterell of Munster Technological University.

The academic judges included Professor Brian Caulfield and Dr Brooke Tornifoglio of Trinity College Dublin, Daniel Clarke Hagan of Atlantic Technological University, Dr Brian Deegan of the University of Galway, Jill Ellis of the University of Lincoln, James McNamara of TUS, Dr John Mulvihill of the University of Limerick, and Dr Morteza Tabatabaeipour of Ulster University.

They were joined by industry leaders Siobhán Duffy of Element Six, Niall Hanley of JJ Rhatigan, Maeve O'Reilly of Gas Networks Ireland, Tom Rowan of Rowan Engineering, and Barry Williams of Mott MacDonald Ireland.

The awards programme was supported by Gold Sponsors Powercomm Group and Eland Cables and Supporter Amárach Research. Meanwhile, The Irish Times served as Communications Partner.

For the complete 2026 winners list, category details, and judges' profile, visit the official Engineering Excellence Awards website and subscribe to the newsletter for updates from Ireland's engineering community.