Celebrating 40 years in business in 2026, McSherry Electrical Ltd in Mallow, Co. Cork has grown from a specialist provider for the process and manufacturing facilities into one of Ireland’s most trusted electrical engineering and contracting firms.
Built on a foundation of deep industry knowledge and hands-on experience, the company has consistently prioritised quality, safety and customer service throughout its development. While its origins lie in delivering design, installation and maintenance services to the manufacturing sector, McSherry Electrical has successfully expanded into a diverse range of industries, including food and beverage, life sciences, sports and leisure and institutional projects. This strategic diversification reflects its ability to adapt, innovate and meet the evolving needs of clients.
The company’s commitment to excellence is underpinned by a fully integrated HSEQ management system. Achieving ISO 9001 certification in 1996 for quality management McSherry Electrical added ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 in 2014, further demonstrating its dedication to continual improvement and best-practice compliance across all aspects of its operations.
“My father Brian set up the company in 1986,” Managing Director Neil McSherry explains.
“He saw an opportunity to provide a quality electrical service to local industry around Mallow. 2026 marks our 40th year in business which is a milestone we’re very proud of.
“We’re an electrical engineering and contracting firm offering the full range of electrical installation and maintenance services to specific industries. A lot of our work is design and build. We cover a broad spectrum of industrial and commercial clients: manufacturing, food and beverage, pharma, water treatment, healthcare, education and sports lighting. On top of that, we offer services in specialist niches like cleanrooms, explosive atmospheres and temperature controlled environments.
“It’s very much a family business. My brothers Ian and Rory are also involved – Ian looks after Operations and Rory looks after Procurement. My father Brian remains a Director and being able to rely on his experience is invaluable. Alongside us, we’ve built a strong management team of project, contracts and admin staff, many who’ve come up the ranks internally.”
Elaborating on McSherry Electrical’s people, Neil says: “We employ a core 80 staff now, most of them living within 10 or 15 kilometres of our Mallow base. That local foundation is a big part of our identity, even as our projects have taken us onto national and international stages. We have capacity to expand to 150-plus depending on contract demand.
“The vast majority of our people are trades-based and start as apprentices. We take on five to 10 each year and many stay with us, working their way up into supervisory, project management and senior roles. That pathway means when we take on something like Croke Park, which was a major sports lighting system installation for us, the lads managing and executing the work are people who’ve trained with us from day one. It’s a real point of pride to see them progress.
“We have a management and admin team of 10 based in our Mallow headquarters.”
While McSherry Electrical’s heritage is in the industrial sector, which continues to account for two-thirds of business, its client-base has diversified over the years to include Danone, Dairygold, GEA, Veolia, Brian A Flynn and Glanua as well as third level institutions and sports bodies such as the IRFU and GAA. The installation of sports lighting systems has become a speciality for the family business which has worked on iconic stadia such as Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Connacht Rugby Showgrounds in Galway, Chadwicks Wexford Park, Pearse Stadium in Galway, Kingpsan Breffni in Cavan, Kingspan Stadium in Belfast, Parnell Park in Dublin, Sean MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey and the aforementioned Croke Park in Dublin.
“We’ve come a long way since carrying out our first sports lighting project for Mallow GAA 20 years ago,” Neil smiles.
“Croke Park has been a career highlight. With our partners Musco Lighting, we designed, supplied and installed a state-of-the-art LED floodlighting system. It replaces the end-of-life Metal Halide fittings with energy-efficient LEDs, with DMX controls for advanced theatrical effects, generator control integration, and enhanced spill and glare performance.
“For fans and broadcasters, the change is immediate — cleaner, sharper, consistent light levels suitable for 4K HD broadcast. The system is designed to accommodate not only GAA, but soccer, rugby, NFL and concerts.
“For the stadium, it’s about sustainability and functionality — lower energy use, less maintenance, and a big step forward in their carbon reduction strategy. Outside of energy efficiency, one of the biggest advantages of LED is controllability. The stadium will be able to run fully audio-integrated light shows for special events.
“We have also added colour changing and moving spotlight technology so the theatrics can be taken to another level. In the future, a touring act like Oasis will be able to take control of the stadium lighting and use it as part of their stage show.”
Neil adds: “Beyond sports, we have been involved in the delivery of major expansions and new facilities for Port of Cork, Dairygold, Danone, R&H Hall, Pepsi and Teeling Whiskey Distillery. Each builds our track record and reputation.”
Business is thriving for the Co. Cork firm with live projects for Kerry Foods, Pepsi, Kiernan Milling, Paul & Vincent and a number of pharma / biotech coldroom projects for partners Brian A Flynn and a cleanroom with Ardmac at Astellas.
Asked what gives McSherry Electrical the edge over the competition, Neil replies: “I’d say three things. First, nearly 40 years of experience and the fact we’re still family-led and agile. Second, investment in people — 5% of payroll goes into training every year, so our staff are up to date with the latest technical and safety standards.
“Third, the niche industries we serve – sports lighting being a great example. We’ve been Musco’s partner in Ireland for 20 years and that gives us access to world-class technology. We’ve completed over 500 sports lighting projects with them. Combine that with a reputation for quality installations and we stand out from the crowd.”
As with its clients, McSherry Electrical enjoys an excellent relationship with its suppliers and subcontractors.
“Beyond Musco Lighting, we work closely with wholesalers, specialist suppliers / contractors in MV & LV switchgear, process control, security, lighting and life protection systems. We also have a network of trusted specialist subcontractors we can rely on for large projects.”
As well as being finalists in the SFA National Small Business Awards in 2009 and Ulster Bank Business Achievers – Munster Region in 2011, McSherry Electrical has helped to deliver award-winning projects for the Kerry Central Regional Water Supply Scheme which won Engineers Ireland – Engineering Project of the Year in 2018, and the IT Carlow South Sports Campus which scooped the SAOCA Award in the Project Category in 2021.
More importantly, McSherry Electrical operates under ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental, and ISO 45001 for health & safety.
“For us, those certifications are as much about culture as compliance — they keep us striving for continuous improvement,” the affable Managing Director concludes.
As McSherry Electrical continues to go from strength to strength, it would like to take this opportunity to thank its clients and suppliers for their unwavering support as well as its dedicated team for their hard work and expertise.
Here’s to the next 40 years!
McSherry Electrical Ltd
IDA Business & Technology Park,
Mallow,
Co. Cork,
P51 DX59.
Telephone: +353 (0)22 42100
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.mse.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, January 2026, Vol 12 No 1
