Visit to Limerick IT

Limerick Institute of Technology is in fact in Cratloe in County Clare north of the new Limerick Tunnel. I discovered this on a recent visit to the college organised by Thomond Region Committee Member Maria Kyne who is Head of School Built Environment.

Left to right – Seamus O’Sullivan (Lecturer), James Collins (Head of Department Built Environment Management), Paschal Meehan (Head of School Science, Engineering and IT), PJ Rudden President of Engineers Ireland, Maria Kyne (Head of School Built Environment), Pat Gill (Head of Department Construction and Civil Engineering), James Greenslade (Acting Head of Department Electrical and Electronic Engineering).

I met Maria and her colleague Paschal Meehan Head of School Science, Engineering and IT who kindly gave me a tour of the college where I met both staff and students. Indeed I was also glad to meet Seamus O'Sullivan and Gerry Ryan both former classmates of mine in UCD and both now lecturing at the college. Seamus was Limerick City Engineer for a period of major infrastructural development in the City prior to taking up a lecturing role at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT).

Paschal Meehan in the Electronics Laboratory with PJ Rudden

Maria Kyne, PJ Rudden and Paschal Meehan in Solar Energy Laboratory

LIT specialise in civil mechanical and electrical engineering in addition to construction management studies. Both areas that are currently growing in the college are electronics and the whole area of studio sound and acoustics for music and theatre events which I visited to view some dress rehearsals. Firstly I toured the surveying, motor engineering and electrical engineering depts meeting various staff members and students.

Gerard Meagher (Lecturer) and PJ Rudden President of Engineers Ireland
in the Music Media and Performance Technology Department

Maria Kyne and Paschal Meehan in the Motor Engineering workshop with PJ Rudden

I then visited some of the music centres where students at various stages were testing their sound and acoustic talents in advance of gaining employment in radio TV stage and screen.

PJ Rudden President of Engineers Ireland and Peter Diffley (technician)
in the LIT Millennium Theatre

I was brought into the LIT Millennium Theatre where I was shown the equipment used to mix the sound and music effects of a full production.

Ger Hartigan and PJ Rudden President of Engineers Ireland
in the Surveying Department

I left LIT realising that every IT has its own set of specialist areas and service specific areas of the economy. LIT graduates have project management skills for construction and logistics management in industry generally and also specialise in producing graduates who are the engineers that make stage and screen events happen in Ireland and internationally wherever they go.