Alan Costello

Was 2019 a good year for you?

It was a great year for many reasons. Firstly (and most importantly), I got married to my beautiful wife Tracey in September. For our honeymoon we travelled to Nepal and trekked up to Everest Base Camp which was quite the adventure – not much luxury along the way but the scenery was incredible.

This year also marked my election in April as Chairman of the Engineers Ireland Cork Region. I’ve found the role to be very rewarding so far, and it has provided many opportunities to meet fellow engineers in a variety of roles.

What did 2019 teach you?

We all go through periods of trying to keep up with the demands of everyday life. With 2019 being such a busy year for me personally, I’ve learned that you need to set aside some downtime where possible and catch your breath!

In my role as Chairman of Engineers Ireland Cork Region, I’ve learned how fulfilling it can be to volunteer your time in the development of the next generation of engineers through attendance at events such as the Engineering Your Future Transition Year Programme at CIT in May, and the Industry Showcase hosted by STEM South-West in November.

I’m looking forward to similar events in 2020.

Major highlight in 2019?

Apart from getting married, one of the main professional highlights of 2019 was working on the N22 Baile Bhuirne to Macroom Road Development with Mott MacDonald Ireland. As a Kerry native now living in Cork, I have first-hand experience of the travel delays along the current N22, particularly within the town of Macroom.

The new route will improve the connectivity between Cork and Kerry and allow the wider region to develop to the benefit of local people.

Hopes for 2020?

My main hope for 2020 is health and happiness for my family and friends. Professionally, we have some exciting prospects in the pipeline at Mott MacDonald Ireland which will hopefully come to fruition in 2020 to add to the current list of projects we’re delivering for our clients in the transport, water, built environment and energy sectors.

Finally, I hope that the remaining Engineers Ireland Cork Region events planned for my term as chairman go smoothly before handing over to our incoming chair Ronan Keane in April 2020.

Any resolutions?

I’m terrible at keeping New Year’s resolutions so I just avoid them! The one thing I try to do is to make the most of any opportunities that come my way which has served me well so far.

 

Events to look out for in 2020?

Our calendar of events in the Cork region continues into 2020. We have a series of lectures and site visits planned – more details can be found on our website engineersirelandcork.ie.

Engineers Ireland is also having a national conference in DCU, The Helix on 23 April 2020 which will examine Climate Action: Mitigation, Resilience and Adaptation. The event will highlight how engineers are leading the fight against climate change.