Beaufort Engineer honoured with national emerging leader award

Beaufort native Danny Pio Murphy has been named the recipient of the Emerging Leader Award at the National Diversity & Inclusion Awards 2026.

The ceremony, hosted by the Irish Centre for Diversity, recognises individuals who have made significant strides in promoting inclusion and belonging within Irish workplaces.
Danny Pio, a Chartered Engineer and Associate Director at DBFL Consulting Engineers, was singled out for his work in transforming the engineering profession. As a founding member of DBFL’s internal EDI team, he was instrumental in developing the company’s first Diversity Action Plan in 2020.
This initiative led to the firm achieving the Gold Investors in Diversity Accreditation in 2025, a standard held by only 28 organisations across the country.
Beyond his professional role, Danny Pio co-founded and currently chairs the Engineers Ireland Inclusion and Diversity Society. In this capacity, he helps shape inclusive practices for the body’s 30,000 members and influences the wider profession of over 75,000 engineers.
Speaking at the awards, Danny Pio highlighted the personal nature of his work: “This work has always been personal to me.
It comes from knowing what it feels like to question whether you belong in a space. Sometimes leadership is about being the person who tells others, ‘You belong here.’”
He further noted that diversity is essential for the future of the industry, stating that solving challenges like housing and climate change requires a broad range of perspectives.
While leading national transport and infrastructure projects, the Beaufort man hopes this recognition will encourage more young people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in engineering.

Pickleball Club’s record medal haul at Munster Open

Killarney Pickleball Club celebrated its most successful outing to date at the Munster Open held last weekend at the MTU Tralee sports complex

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The club sent a record number of eight members to the tournament, which featured players from across Ireland and beyond.
The Killarney contingent secured medals across several divisions. Jeremy Foley took home gold in the men’s intermediate section, competing alongside Alan Cunningham from Tralee. In the mixed doubles lower section, Max and Stephanie Regosa claimed silver medals following a strong run in their bracket.
Mike Lyne had a standout weekend, securing two bronze medals. He placed third in the 60+ men’s doubles with partner Tommy McCarthy of Castlegregory and followed it up with another bronze in the mixed doubles on Sunday.
Lyne’s Sunday performance included a dramatic comeback in the final match, trailing 10-1 before rallying to win 15-13.
The club was also represented at the high-energy event by Shane O’Sullivan, Hanne Winther, Jyotindra Swaroop, and Kumar Shreyansh.
Hosted by the Kingdom Pickleball Club, the 2026 Munster Open utilised the top-class facilities at MTU to accommodate multiple skill levels and divisions, marking one of the largest competitive pickleball weekends in the country this year.