The annual presentation of honours and awards was held in the Common Room of University College, Cork on Tuesday 11th December 2005. The Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Seán Martin, attended.
Winners of the 2007 Honours and Awards. Back row: Richard Prendiville, Thomas Daly, Emmett Martin, John Farrell , Barry Bolger Front row: Brian Nolan ISA Ireland, Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr. Sean Martin and President Elect ISA Ireland Mick Mead.
Mr. Barry Bolger, Carnew, Co. Wicklow.
Nominated by: Mr. Pat Mc Carthy, FAS Cork.
Barry served his apprenticeship as an instrumentation/ Electrical craftsperson with Sheering Plough, Co. Wicklow. From August 2003 to-date he has completed phase 2/4/6 in Cork FAS and Carlow IT. From day one his attitude and commitment was exceptional. Barry never failed to get less than credits in all his exams both practical and theory.
He was always keen to do other projects and therefore educating Barry was an easy task for any of his instructors. He set his sights on entering the National Skills Competition and started preparing for same in early 2005. Barry completed several inhouse and external courses in electrical, instrumentation, PLC and Meltronics in preparation for these events.
In 2006 he achieved second place in Industrial Control and in 2007 he achieved first place and is now represented Ireland in the World Skills Competition in Shizuoka, Japan in November 2007. As can be seen from his educational results he has achieved a very high standard. Having spoken with his supervisor Mr. Tom Flemming of Scheering Plough, Mr. Eamon Lane World Skills Leader CIT, Mr. Noel Hackett World Skills Technical Support FAS and all agree Barry is a Worthy Candidate. I am delighted to nominate Brendan for the 2006 ISA Craft Apprentice Award in recognition of his accomplishments.
Mr. Thomas Daly, Killeagh,, Co. Cork.
Thomas Daly commenced studies in the Cork Institute of Technology in September 2003 in the Department of Electronic Engineering. Thomas obtained a Distinction in the Higher Certificate in Electronic Engineering in 2005 with an average mark of 84.25%. He continued his studies within Electronic Engineering and obtained a Distinction in the BEng in Electronic Automation & Robotics with an average of 81.83%.
Thomas then transferred to the Department of Applied Physics & Instrumentation and commenced the BSc in Applied Physics & Instrumentation. Thomas achieved the highest mark in 2007 on the BSc in Applied Physics & Instrumentation. His overall average was 78.23% and he was awarded a Distinction Grade.
Thomas is now studying for his BSc (Honours) in Applied Physics and Instrumentation at Cork Institute of Technology. Thomas is an exceptional student who has demonstrated the highest standards of achievement in two academic disciplines. A review of his examination transcripts shows that the lowest mark achieved was 65% and the highest mark was 96% with the majority of his marks being 80% or higher. In so doing Thomas has set a tremendous example and challenge to his fellow students. He is clearly poised for an excellent career within the fields of instrumentation, automation and control.
Mr. Richard Prendiville, Cappa, Kilrush, Co. Clare.
Richard completed the BSc Honours in Computerised Instrumentation Systems at Cork Institute of Technology in 2007 with a First Class Honours Grade.
A review of his four year programme of study reveals overall year averages of 81.8% (2003/2004), 71.0 % (2004/2005), 70.05% (2005/2006), and 75.9% 2006/2007). Richard obtained the highest mark of the 2007 graduates in the BSc Honours in Computerised Instrumentation Systems and the BSc Honours in Applied Physics & Instrumentation.
Richards’s third year placement and his final year project were carried out with Zenith Technologies. His project was entitled “Analogue control modules for the Pharma sector using Siemens PCS7”. The main objectives of the project were to (a) Install and set-up Siemens Simatic PC7 Software. (b) Design and develop two analogue control module standards and incorporate them into a simulation of a typical pharmaceutical vessel using Siemens Simatic PCS7 software.
Mr. Emmett Martin, Glaxo SmithKline, Currabinny, Co. Cork.
Nominated by: Mr. Michael Meade, DPS Engineering & Construction.
In 1985 Fisher Provox was selected as the DCS platform. This was expanded over the years to include all process plants and environmental areas where the incinerators, treatment plants and solvent recovery systems were automated. Generic software was developed on site to expand Provox to a Network system with Data highways and OWP consoles were added.
In 1999 GSK were the first pharmaceutical company in the world to select Emmerson’s Delta V system. Emmett lead the team that developed the system to provided added functionality, improvements, a more robust solution and better on-line diagnostics for GSK.
He is currently evaluating Wireless Instrumentation with non-process related systems. This wireless technology has not been tried in the pharnma industry yet. Emmett excepted the award on behalf of the GSK automation team.
Nominated by: Mr. Emmett Martin and Mr. Peadar Walsh.
John was born in Dublin in 1942 and was educated in Dublin and then in Cork after the family moved there in the early 50s. Like many of his contemporaries at this time who wanted to follow a career in Instrumentation, he found the only legitimate instrument training available was in the Services so he decided to join the RAF. There he got a very comprehensive training on aircraft instruments and finished up servicing front line aircraft.
On leaving the air force he joined Goulding Fertilisers in Cork where he underwent further training on industrial instruments and in electrical engineering before taking on the responsibility of Maintenance Technician for the Cork plant.
In 1965 John felt that he could benefit considerably by emigrating and seeing how instruments and systems were being used in other countries. He went to South Africa where he joined the commissioning team of Fraser and Chalmers.
On returning to Ireland he rejoined Gouldings in Dublin as Instrument Supervisor. Then in the late 60s he was hopping between the Dublin and Cork plants supervising the instrument maintenance on both plants before being permanently transferred to Cork in 1969.
In 1970 John married Eileen and they settled in Fountainstown near Crosshaven.
When Gouldings downsized in 1975 John moved to Gilroy Automation as Engineering Manager responsible for all engineering functions in the company including sales support. Among the projects he was responsible for was two analyser houses for Irish Refining, eight complex electro-hydraulic control panels for a company in Germany, a major reactor control system for Gaeleo and a instrument and control simulator for ANCO.
In 1980 John decided it was time to go it alone and formed Farrell Instrumentation Services Ltd. Initially a service company working mainly for the Co-op and Creamery sectors, but quickly branching out into other area including sales and panel building.
Many of these panels were unique pneumatic logic circuits while others were solenoid junction boxes for use in hazardous areas. All of the designs for these panels were undertaken by John. In 1984 John designed and marketed an AutomaticWastewater Sampler and over the next number of years over one hundred of these units were put into service all over Ireland.
In 1995 Farrell Instrumentation Services was merged with Tektron and John became Business Unit Manager responsible for the development of the instrumentation side of the business.
But in 1997 John was lured back to his first love that of instrument engineering and he joined ProsCon as Senior Electrical and Instrument Engineer. He was also tasked with putting together a Panel Fabrication Centre and this produced its first panels (a full Fisher Rosemount Provox control suite of 14 Panels) in 1998.
The facility went on over the years to produce some very significant control system panels – a control system of 57 control panels for Pfizer Singapore, a system of 28 panels for Pfizer Dun Laoire, a system of 19 panels for Pfizer Sandwich in Kent and many, many more panels for a diverse list of customers.
About a month ago John retired after 11 years with ProsCon after a career of nearly 50 very enjoyable years in instrumentation but as he says himself he has retired but he hasn’t finished yet!
John joined ISA in 1979 and has been active in the section ever since receiving his 25 year pin in 2004. He was Treasurer in 1987/88 putting in place the section first comprehensive book-keeping system feeling the section had now grown and matured sufficiently to warrant a more professional look to its accounts. He went on to serve as Ireland section President in 1995/96.
The annual presentation of honours and awards was held in the Board Room of Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork on 10th March 2009.
Awardees, Sponsors, Ladies & Gentlemen; I would like to welcome you all here this evening to our Annual Honours and Awards Ceremony which is conducted to acknowledge and encourage excellence for those training for careers in Instrumentation, Systems and Automation and also to express our thanks and recognition to those who have led the way in the pursuit of their careers in those fields.
Irish industry has been a bedrock sponsor of ISA Ireland Section activities throughout the past thirty years of our existence. We are delighted that this support has continued for this ceremony and that each sponsor is represented here this evening clearly demonstrating industry awareness and support for promoting and awarding excellence.
Current thinking is that Education & Training is a Cradle to Grave concept and one which ISA embraces from its founding ethos. Access to education is not freely available across the whole of this world. Therefore one cannot over emphasise the value of education and on which I truly believe has always rested the future of mankind. Being educated places a large responsibility on one to pass on the knowledge gleaned to others during our life journey. However the full appreciation of this gift only becomes more apparent towards the end of ones life. In that process the role of educator oscillates between our parents, school teachers, sporting and social leaders, college lecturers and work place mentors to varying degrees as we evolve through life with the resulting impression that we are at once and always both educator and student.
Degree Award: To Mr. Glenn Buckley who achieved first place in the BSc in Applied Physics & Instrumentation in June 2008 at Cork Institute of Technology and nominated by Dr. Liam McDonnell, Head of the Department of Applied Physics & Instrumentation at Cork Institute of Technology. Glenn is continuing his studies in this regard and so I wish him all the best on this award and for his future endeavours.
To Mr. Brendan Keohane who achieved first place in the BSc Honours in Applied Physics & Instrumentation in June 2008 at Cork Institute of Technology and nominated by Dr. Liam McDonnell, Head of the Department of Applied Physics & Instrumentation at Cork Institute of Technology. In gaining this award Brendan is also awarded the Ger Dullea Bursary of O750, in honour of our esteemed Past President (RIP), towards his further studies. Brendan is to be complimented on his award and should note his nominator’s citation of “a very hard-working student who has excelled in the field of instrumentation and automation and who has a very promising career ahead”.
To Mr. Bob Hutchinson for an extensive career of forty three years in the field of instrumentation and for his contribution in helping to define instrumentation as a recognised engineering field and nominated by Mr. Dave O’Brien of DPS Engineering & Construction Ltd. I have known Bob for twenty seven years and we have shared many facets of our lives from an office in Syntex, to a formidable landlady in Mrs. Kierce and with my then employer, friend and neighbour Eddie Dornan. I have witnessed at first hand and very close quarters the efforts of Bob in his definition of instrumentation as a recognised engineering field and consider his implementation of such training in Syntex to have been considerably ahead of its time.
(Top Row L to R) Tony Mahon (DPS), Brendan Keohane (Honours Degree Award - Ger Dullea), Declan Lordan, Dr. Liam McDonnell (CIT), Dave O'Brien, Eamon Creech (Janssen), Glenn Buckley (Degree Award), Billy Walsh, (Bottom Row L to R) Bob Hutchinson (Pioneer Award), Mick Meade, Brian Nolan.