Senan Fee, who is from a farming family in Co Monaghan, has fostered his passion for the environment and renewable energy through an internship at EirGrid, the operator and developer of Ireland’s electricity grid.

As a new college year approaches, Senan, from Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, has been sharing his experience as a mechatronic engineering student at DCU and his internship at EirGrid over the last number of months, offering advice for others who are thinking about their future careers.

Entering his third year of university this autumn, the talented student came to DCU through the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) scheme, which offers places to students whose economic or social background are underrepresented in higher education.

“I sat my Leaving Cert in June 2022 in Castleblayney College in Monaghan. Once I received my CAO offer of a place in DCU, their Access Service contacted me straight away with information about what supports they offered.”

Keen to enhance the skills gained in his degree, Senan applied for summer work through the DCU Access ‘Access to the Workplace’ (ATTW) programme, which led to his internship with EirGrid.

“The Access to the Workplace programme involved attending multiple sessions on things like CV preparation, interview training and workplace etiquette. These courses were all geared towards giving Access students the best possible opportunity of securing themselves a summer internship that would complement their degree.

“In my role, I work in EirGrid’s innovation and planning directorate in the future operations department. I attend formal team meetings where I give presentations on the work I have been carrying out. I also undertake research work relating to Ireland’s power grid.”

Merging farming with career

Having grown up on a farm and been surrounded by a farming family, Senan looked forward to merging these passions with his studies and future career.

“I come from a farming background which stretches back over many generations. I enjoy working with the animals and on the land as often as I can. The main type of farming we do is suckler and hay, while silage is grown for fodder.

“Sustainability has become a big focus on the farm. In recent years, several agriculture schemes have been introduced to promote environmental practices through EU and Government policies. Most recently, the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) has been introduced, to help stem the loss of birds and insects and wildlife, in general.

"Actions undertaken include sowing wild bird seed and planting new hedgerows and trees, which I have been involved in.

"These measures are ongoing, so I will follow them through and continue to improve on them.

“Since starting in EirGrid, I’ve had the opportunity to apply my skills, helping to achieve the company’s goal of transforming Ireland’s electricity grid. As a student, getting an insight into an organisation has been invaluable.”

Career exposure

Now nearing the end of his four-month internship, Senan feels this career exposure has shown him what opportunities are out there for students.

“Growing up on the farm gave me an interest in and awareness of nature. It fostered my interest in the environment and the part I can play in protecting it. Being more aware of climate change and what can be done now and into the future to deal with the emerging challenges, picking an engineering course has certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities available for me to take an active part in creating solutions.

“EirGrid is at the centre of the Irish energy sector, which is undergoing revolutionary changes as we strive to ensure that 80% of our energy comes from renewable sources by 2030, as set out by the Government. I always enjoyed problem-solving and, coupled with that, an interest in how renewable energy generation works, so EirGrid is a good fit.”