In 1982, Seamus Byrne founded SBE after completing his Electrical Trade Apprenticeship and studying Electrical Engineering at Carlow Regional Technical College. The company began by providing electrical services for homes and businesses in the Carlow area.

In 1983, SBE completed its first healthcare project, installing electrical services at the St Fiacc’s House nursing home facility. The construction work for the project was carried out by James Farrell Construction, and SBE worked alongside them to install the necessary electrical systems.

Seamus Byrne Electrical’s first office and workshop premises were opened in 1983 on Kennedy Street in Carlow. The premises were at the back of Carlow’s Deighton Hall and served as the company’s first headquarters.

The East Link Toll bridge crosses the River Liffey linking Dublin’s North Wall to Ringsend. SBE completed electrical engineering works on this bascule-type lifting bridge in 1984, working alongside Carlow companies Pressure Hydraulics and Thompson Engineering.

Despite an incident in 1985 where a cargo ship laden with Guinness on route to the UK collided with the bridge, this busy bridge continues to serve motorists in Dublin to this day.

Since its founding, SBE has always emphasized the importance of high-quality workmanship and training skilled electricians. In 1984, the company’s first apprentice electricians, PJ Duffy, Mick Scully, Brian Doyle, and Paul Murphy, began their careers and training with SBE.

Over the years, the company has trained more than 200 apprentices, many of whom remain with the company today as highly skilled and qualified team members. Others have gone on to have successful and esteemed careers both in Ireland and abroad.

Following a major fire at the Hadden’s shopping center in Carlow town, SBE carried out electrical rewiring and upgrade works as part of the an extensive rebuild project in 1986.

Building works at the Hadden’s Centre were completed by Sisk Construction and the project’s Consultant Engineer was Mr. Garvin Evans, who happens to be the father of U2 lead guitarist David “The Edge” Evans.

SBE has extensive experience and expertise in successfully delivering quality electrical engineering services to the Water and Wastewater Treatment sector throughout Ireland. The Rathvilly Water Treatment Plant in Carlow was the first water treatment infrastructure project completed by Seamus Byrne Electrical in 1987 working with Harper and Fay Engineering, which later became Jones Environmental.

In 1987, SBE moved its offices and workshop to a new location on the Tullow Road in Carlow. The larger facility provided the company with more space to grow its operations and continue to serve its clients.

On this project, SBE electrified and automated 16 lock gates on a canal system that connects the River Shannon to Lough Erne. The project was part of a broader canal infrastructure upgrade undertaken by Roadbridge Civil Engineering, and SBE worked in partnership with Pressure Hydraulics and Process Control Automation. The system continues to serve canal boat and waterway users today.

In 1993, a famous inter-company football match took place between SBE and Jones Environmental, a company with which SBE collaborated on numerous water treatment projects. While the final score of the match has been lost to history, the craic and memories of the game have become legendary.

SBE is proud to have worked with the McLoughlin Family in Carlow to provide electrical services for the Dinn Ri hospitality complex, which includes a hotel, bars, nightclub, and music venue. Completed in 1994, the Dinn Ri complex was a pioneering project in Ireland and continues to be a leader in the hospitality industry. The complex offers exceptional facilities and services and remains at the forefront of the industry.

For SBE’s first international project, a team from the company traveled to the Isle of Man to carry out electrical upgrade works of the island’s water treatment infrastructure. SBE’s team worked closely with a team from Jones Environmental providing electrical engineering services including state-of-the-art SCADA Automation.

The Cathedral of the Assumption is the second oldest Roman Catholic cathedral built in Ireland, originally constructed in 1793. As part of an extensive refurbishment project carried out at Carlow Cathedral in 1997, SBE carefully upgraded the entire electrical systems in this beautiful gothic revival cathedral. A key part of this heritage project involved the careful restoration and recreation of existing antique chandeliers in partnership with London based specialists Malham Lighting.

The talents, skills, and dedication of our team have always been crucial to providing the best possible service to our clients. In 2002, SBE was awarded the prestigious Excellence Through People award by then government Minister Mary Harney. The award recognizes organizations that view their people as a key source of competitive advantage and invests in their ongoing development.

SBE’s first two sports pitch lighting projects were for our home club, Tinryland GFC, and fellow Carlow club Eire Og. Since then, we have worked with over 250 clubs across Ireland to provide sports lighting solutions.

SBE provided the electrical engineering services for the state-of-the-art 4-story office facility for Paddy Power, which can accommodate up to 600 office staff. The facility is equipped with the latest technologies and is designed to support the needs of a modern office environment.

To support the growth of our team of skilled electricians and enable us to deliver high-quality electrical work across Ireland, SBE invested in a fleet of new vans. These vans can be seen all over the country, so if you see one, be sure to give us a wave!

In 2007, Robert Quinn Construction developed the landmark Waterfront Building in Carlow. SBE is proud to have provided electrical engineering services for this high-end development.

Throughout the years SBE has been fortunate to have an exceptional team of talented people working with the company. In 2008 SBE won the Irish Inter-Firms GAA competition, fighting off stiff competition and demonstrating the team’s talents beyond their electrical craft.

In 2009, SBE completed the construction of our new offices in the Wexford Road Business Park. These modern, energy-efficient offices provide our team with the facilities and a base to focus on serving our clients. We are proud to call this space our home and to continue to grow and evolve here.

SBE partnered with water treatment infrastructure specialists AECOM to provide electrical engineering services for the Leixlip Water Treatment facility. The Leixlip Water Treatment plant is one of Ireland’s largest facilities, providing clean water to the greater Dublin area. This project is a testament to SBE’s expertise in delivering complex and critical infrastructure projects.

As part of our commitment to quality, environment, and safety, SBE has adopted the international ISO9001, ISO14001, and ISO 45001 standards. These standards ensure that we are continually improving our processes and working towards building a better future. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of service to our clients and to protecting the environment and the safety of our employees.

In 2018, American businessman Jay Cashman purchased Kilkea Castle, a beautiful medieval castle in Kildare, and renovated this luxury hotel and golf course. SBE provided full electrical design and build services for the project, completing it to the highest standards.

24-26 City Quay is a landmark office building overlooking the River Liffey in Dublin’s South Docks. SBE provided full electrical services for the extensive upgrades to the building, which have brought it to LEED Gold Certification standards. We are proud to have contributed to the sustainability and success of this iconic building.

Thomond Park is a famous rugby stadium located in Limerick and is one of Munster Rugby’s home grounds. In 2021, SBE upgraded the sports floodlighting at the stadium to energy-efficient LED lights, bringing them to TV standard levels and adding light show visuals for crowd entertainment.

The SBE team celebrated summer and the successful completion of our work at a BBQ at our office premises. Surrounded by conduit, cable, and tray, we enjoyed good food, music, and craic together. We are lucky to have a fantastic team of hardworking and dedicated individuals, and it was great to have the opportunity to come together and celebrate our achievements. In the picture at the barbecue, Shay is with PJ Duffy and Brian Doyle, SBE’s first apprentices, who are still part of our expanding team.