Our Beginning
The story of Lawler Group like many indigenous engineering companies, is one steeped in innovation, dedication to providing excellence and some luck !
Our founder Noel Lawler, faced with the challenge of starting afresh, took the bold step, 45 years ago, of starting from his house Noel Lawler Industrial Engineers. Focused at that time on local commercial opportunities. The Newpark Hotel being his first customer and working with the local dairy cooperative, Avonmore, Noel steadily built a customer base.
Noel’s innovation saw the Practice be early adopters of technology in our industry, and although located outside the major cities, Noel quickly established the Practice as a recognised and talented engineering practice competing on the national stage.
This innovation is still very much the DNA of the Practice, which in recent years has grown to embrace European Research & Development Projects, Energy Performance Contracts, and a diversity of new services — and with that, a diversity of international clients and also overseas projects.
In 2020, to mark our 40th anniversary, we rebranded our two companies from Noel Lawler Consulting Engineers to Lawler Consulting, and from Noel Lawler Green Energy Solutions to Lawler Sustainability. The two sister companies now work hand in hand to deliver high-quality sustainable services through engineering excellence.
“What we really do is understand our clients, their problems and how we can solve them. Our energy services where we take on the worry of managing the financial side of the project has taken us into providing energy grant application services. Our ability to put our arms around the problem and merge that with our engineering excellence, innovation and social responsibility means every project is pushing the boundaries of what is achievable whilst minimising environmental impact – Jonathan Culleton, Managing Director
How we celebrated 45 years in business
We marked the occasion with a special evening at the beautiful Lyrath Estate, located just outside of Kilkenny City. Surrounded by lush parkland and steeped in history, the venue provided a stunning backdrop for the night. Guests enjoyed great food, flowing drinks, and a not-so-serious award ceremony that had everyone laughing (and maybe slightly worried about what title they’d walk away with).
The Awards were the following:
- CIBSE Champion – Can quote CIBSE Guides like they’re song lyrics — Winner: Laura MacMahon
- The “High Voltage Humor” Award – For the engineer who has the best jokes — Winner: Dennis Phelan
- “Can We Fit This?” Award – Most likely to say “Sure, we can fit that” before checking. — Winner: James Dwyer
- The Greenwash Gatekeeper – Calls out every attempt to make a gas boiler sound sustainable. — Winner: Kayleigh-Ann Myles
- Spreadsheet Engineer Supreme – Lives in Excel. Speaks only in formulas. — Winner: Viktor Tomans
- “You’re on Mute” Award – For most mutings during Teams meetings. — Winner: Siobhan Brazil
- The “Just One More Revision” Award – Famous last words before another all-nighter — Winner: Daniel Ring
A particularly special part of the evening was celebrating with our founder, Noel Lawler, whose vision and leadership started this journey back in 1980. It was an honour to have him with us as we looked back on how far we’ve come and ahead to where we’re going.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the night so special — and to all our clients and partners for being part of our story.
It was the perfect way to reflect on our journey, celebrate our brilliant team, and look ahead to an exciting future.
So what next for Lawler Group?
We are very excited for the future, at a time when sustainability and innovation through AI are rapidly changing our processes and the buildings that we deliver. It is truly a great time for Building Services Consultancy and the solid foundations, key company characteristics of innovation and customer care laid by Noel initially, have never been more relevant than today.
Our 45 years of experience in designing, commissioning, and monitoring building systems means the Lawler business has deep expertise, which gives us a unique ability to deliver innovation and projects that set us apart.
Our energy services have become a big part of the work we do with our clients in sustainability consultancy, especially as we see greater appetite from clients who need help establishing a pathway to net-zero carbon and ESG.
Although the attraction of the company was Noel Lawler himself. He was very much an early adopter, in fact one of the first consultants to use AutoCAD which would have been revolutionary at the time. We of course have come a long way since then, establishing a sustainability business within the practice. As building services engineers we are the architects of energy consumption and we now provide strategic advice for clients, helping both private clients and local authorities, in terms of mapping their pathways to net zero carbon –Daniel Ring, Managing Director
Looking ahead, we’re expanding our focus on delivering intelligent building design that addresses the growing demand for energy efficiency, digital integration, and occupant wellbeing. As the industry continues to evolve, we are also investing in advanced technologies such as smart systems and predictive maintenance tools that enhance building performance and operational control. Sustainability will continue to be a core pillar of our work, seamlessly integrated into a wider, multidisciplinary approach. Our teams operate across a diverse range of sectors — including commercial, education, healthcare, hospitality, and beyond delivering tailored solutions that go beyond environmental performance. We ensure every project also meets critical regulatory standards, aligns with budgetary objectives, and enhances the overall user experience.
Here’s to 45 more years of innovation, impact, and inside jokes!
If you have a project that you would like to discuss in more detail, click the button below to arrange a call with one of our expert team.
