Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has acquired Ryan Hanley, a 150-person engineering and environmental consultancy with locations across Ireland.
The company said that Ryan Hanley will bring its extensive local knowledge, relationships, and technical expertise to Stantec, particularly around the Irish water sector. The firm delivers a broad range of services, creating solutions for local authorities, government departments, private clients, utility companies, and other influential organisations. Stantec said the acquisition is an important part of its goal of expanding its presence in Ireland.
Founded in 1931, Ryan Hanley has offices in Dublin, Galway, Cork, and Castlebar.
“Through deep and meaningful collaboration, Ryan Hanley and Stantec have proven our ability to deliver outstanding results for clients and communities in Ireland,” said Gord Johnston, Stantec’s president and chief executive officer. “Innovation and purpose are at the heart of both of our businesses, and this new chapter is the logical next step in our collective journey. Together, our shared capabilities, expertise, and creativity will help address some of Ireland’s biggest challenges.”
Ryan Hanley has been a local partner for Stantec as part of a successful joint venture (JV) since 2020. The JV has supported Ireland’s water company, Uisce Éireann (UÉ), in its Engineering Design Services Framework helping deliver a €3.5 billion investment in asset delivery across UÉ’s portfolios. The JV was appointed to UÉ’s Capital Works PMO Services Framework in 2023. Stantec and Ryan Hanley currently share an office space in Dublin’s city centre, which was opened formally by Ireland’s former Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Simon Harris, in 2024.
For Ryan Hanley, the integration into Stantec will allow its interdisciplinary teams to reach new markets, such as energy, transport, and community development, while drawing from Stantec’s global footprint and resources.
“Over the last 90 years, we have grown to become a values-driven business, founded on passion and integrity as well as doing what is right for communities and the environment,” said Ger Gibney, managing director, Ryan Hanley. “This will not change as Ryan Hanley becomes part of Stantec, a firm that has shown itself to be a hugely valuable partner with an ethos similar to our own. We are all excited for what feels like a natural stage in our evolution as we continue to grow our numbers and drive project excellence across Ireland.”
Ryan Hanley’s portfolio of consulting engineering experience is specialised in water, wastewater, flood risk management, structural engineering, environmental planning, and ecology. Standout projects include:
- Coolatee Integrated Constructed Wetlands—delivering a constructed wetland for wastewater treatment at Coolatee, County Donegal. Ryan Hanley successfully removed an untreated discharge to watercourses in line with Environmental Protection Agency requirements. The project achieved the cessation of untreated wastewater discharge to the Foyle Estuary, without the need for an energy supply or any treated water connection, while increasing biodiversity in the area.
- Leixlip to Saggart Pipeline—a diverse range of design services for the strategic water main link between Leixlip and Saggart to create a strategic interconnector between the two primary water supplies feeding Dublin as part of UÉ’s strategy to deliver a sustainable and resilient water supply for the Greater Dublin area. With a construction value of approximately €28 million, it was one of UÉ’s largest infrastructure projects completed in 2019.
- The O’Shaughnessy Bridge—design and engineering services for a locally iconic bridge giving a new pedestrian access route to the campus of University of Galway. The structure is a 48-metre-long, bar stayed, steel bridge over the Eglinton Canal, with a separate 15-metre-long approach bridge over the Newcastle River.
- River Deel Flood Relief Scheme—implementing a flood relief scheme for the town of Crossmolina, County Mayo, that is socially, environmentally, and economically acceptable to protect properties and people against the effects of major flood events.
The Ryan Hanley and Stantec partnership was recognised by the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland at the 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards winning in the sustainability and natural environment category.
