McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan
McCarthy Keville O'Sullivan (MKO) is an Irish planning and environmental consultancy with 220+ staff across Galway and Dublin, serving renewable energy, infrastructure, and public-sector clients — most recently expanding via its March 2024 acquisition of CDM Smith Ireland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersGalway, Ireland
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan does
McCarthy Keville O'Sullivan (MKO) is an Irish planning and environmental consultancy headquartered in Galway, with a second office in Dublin opened in January 2023. Founded by Gus McCarthy, Brian Keville, and John O'Sullivan, the firm operates 14 specialist teams and employs 220+ staff, with a stated growth target of approximately 300. It is wholly Irish-owned and positions itself as Ireland's largest indigenous planning and environmental consultancy, reporting responsibility for 50% of consented wind energy capacity in 2024 and over 3GW of cumulative wind farm project experience.
The firm's service offering spans 17 sectors including wind energy, solar energy, water utility, residential development, infrastructure, and healthcare. Core capabilities include strategic planning advice, environmental impact assessment, ecology, archaeology, noise and air assessments, and site surveying using drone-based thermal imaging and GIS baselining. Clients span global corporates (Apple, Ørsted, Dexcom, BayWa r.e.), Irish state and semi-state bodies (Coillte, HSE, Bord na Móna, University of Galway), and large domestic developers (Cairn Homes, Glenveagh). In March 2024, MKO acquired CDM Smith Ireland, materially expanding its headcount, sector reach, and multinational client handoff capability.
Revenue is generated on a project- and retainer-based professional services model, typical of planning and environmental consultancies: fees are tied to scope, complexity, and duration of planning applications, environmental assessments, and compliance engagements. The firm has also launched a Solar Energy division, extending from its wind-energy stronghold into adjacent renewables. Leadership comprises Managing Director Brian Keville, Founding Director Gus McCarthy, and four directors appointed in 2023 (Bláithín Gallagher, Niall Barrett, Shane McHugh, Martin Healy). No revenue figures are publicly disclosed.
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan
- Legal name
- McCarthy Keville O'Sullivan
- Website
- https://mkoireland.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- McCarthy Keville O'Sullivan (MKO) is an Irish planning and environmental consultancy with 220+ staff across Galway and Dublin, serving renewable energy, infrastructure, and public-sector clients — most recently expanding via its March 2024 acquisition of CDM Smith Ireland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental & Planning Consulting
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Management Consulting Services (54161), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD), Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ), Program & Project Management (PMO) Consulting (BPAHACAL)
Keywords
Where McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Galway
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Planning and Environmental Consultancy Services: Professional consultancy services including planning applications, environmental impact assessments, ecological surveys, ornithological monitoring, and related environmental consulting services provided to government bodies, state agencies, local authorities and private sector clients across Ireland.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MKO is Ireland's largest dedicated planning and environmental consultancy, delivering multi-disciplinary consulting services through 14 specialist teams covering planning, environmental impact assessment, ecology, ornithology, renewables, water, acoustics, bat surveys, drone surveys, GIS and digital, health and safety, land agent services, landscape and visual assessment, project management, and research. The firm secures planning permissions, conducts environmental and ecological surveys, and provides strategic advisory for renewable energy, residential, commercial, healthcare, education, infrastructure and industrial development projects across Ireland.
Product overview
MKO (McCarthy Keville O'Sullivan) is Ireland's largest planning and environmental consultancy offering a comprehensive suite of multi-disciplinary services. The company operates as a unified consultancy with integrated specialist teams including Planning, Environmental, Ecology, Ornithology, Renewables, Water (including geo-environmental engineering added via CDM Smith Ireland acquisition), Acoustics, Bat Surveys, Drone Surveys, GIS and Digital, Health and Safety, Land Agent Services, Landscape and Visual, Project Management, Research, and Project Communications. The firm serves sectors spanning renewable energy (wind and solar), residential, commercial, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and waste management across Ireland with offices in Galway and Dublin.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Planning Consultancy Services Provides planning advice, strategic consultation and planning applications for residential, commercial, renewable energy, healthcare, education and infrastructure projects across Ireland, securing permissions from An Bord Pleanála and local authorities.
- Environmental Consultancy Services Offers environmental impact assessments (EIAs), environmental compliance reporting and strategic environmental advice for development projects across multiple sectors.
- Ecology Services Provides ecological assessments, habitat surveys, biodiversity management plans and nature impact statements for development and infrastructure projects.
- Ornithology Services Specialises in bird surveys including vantage point surveys, breeding bird surveys, waterbird surveys and collision risk modelling for wind farms.
- Renewables Services Provides integrated planning and environmental assessment for wind energy and solar energy projects, with expertise on over 3GW of onshore and offshore wind farm developments.
- Water Services Offers water and environmental engineering services including water infrastructure projects and drainage schemes, expanded through the CDM Smith Ireland acquisition.
- Geo-environmental Engineering Specialist geo-environmental engineering services covering ground investigations and contaminated land assessment, acquired through CDM Smith Ireland.
- Acoustics Services Provides noise impact assessments for residential and commercial developments.
- Bat Surveys Conducts bat surveys and monitoring for development projects including roost identification and assessment.
- Drone Surveys Offers drone-based aerial surveys using thermal imaging for bird detection, nesting surveys and environmental monitoring.
- GIS and Digital Services Provides Geographic Information System analysis, site identification for wind and solar developments, and digital mapping services.
- Health and Safety Services Provides health and safety consultancy services for construction and development projects.
- Land Agent Services Offers land acquisition, negotiation and management services, particularly for renewable energy and infrastructure projects.
- Landscape and Visual Services Provides landscape and visual impact assessments, including LVIA studies, in support of planning applications.
- Project Management Services Delivers project management for construction, infrastructure and development projects from inception through delivery.
- Research Services Conducts environmental research including landscape sensitivity calibration, ornithological studies and biodiversity monitoring.
- Project Communications Services Provides public consultation, media management, stakeholder engagement and communication strategy services for planning projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Secured planning permission for 25 turbine wind farm with 178.5m blade tip height at Ardderroo
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- CDM Smith Ireland LtdcoreMKO acquired CDM Smith Ireland Ltd., a leading firm providing specialist water, geo-environmental and environmental engineering services, from its German-headquartered parent CDM Smith SE. Key personnel including Ruairi O'Carroll (former Managing Director) and Ralf Bufler joined MKO. The acquisition expands MKO's service offering with water, geo-environmental and environmental engineering services.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Scott Cawley: Scott Cawley is one of Ireland's leading ecological and environmental consultancies, working across planning, ecology, arboriculture and environmental impact assessment for wind farms, residential and infrastructure clients. Directly comparable to MKO in customer base, geography and core service mix in the ecology/ornithology space.
- Fehily Timoney & Company: Fehily Timoney is a Cork-based Irish environmental, planning and engineering consultancy serving public and private clients across waste, water, energy, transport and renewables. Highly comparable to MKO in geography, multi-disciplinary scope and Irish public-sector client focus.
- TOBIN Consulting Engineers: TOBIN is an Ireland-wide multi-disciplinary engineering, environmental and planning consultancy with offices across the country. Direct peer in scale, geography and breadth of services for public infrastructure, renewables and development clients.
- Malone O'Regan: Malone O'Regan is an Irish civil and environmental engineering consultancy operating across planning, infrastructure, water and environmental services. Comparable to MKO in the planning and environmental segments of Irish public-sector and developer work.
- Roughan & O'Donovan (ROD): ROD is a leading Irish engineering consultancy delivering civil, structural, environmental and project management services to public and private clients across transport, energy, water and buildings. Closely comparable to MKO in Irish multi-disciplinary consulting, with deeper civil/structural engineering emphasis.
Broad incumbents
- Jacobs Ireland: Jacobs is a global professional services firm with Irish operations spanning environmental, water, transportation and energy consulting. Overlaps MKO's core environmental and infrastructure consulting, with the resource depth of a global major.
- Mott MacDonald Ireland: Mott MacDonald operates a substantial Irish consultancy in environment, planning, water and energy. Direct overlap with MKO's service portfolio and target clients, delivered from a large UK-headquartered multinational platform.
- Arup Ireland: Arup is a global engineering, planning and environmental consultancy with Irish offices serving built environment, energy and infrastructure clients. Overlaps MKO's planning and environmental assessment work for high-profile public and private clients in Ireland.
- AECOM Ireland: AECOM is a global infrastructure consultancy with a sizeable Irish practice providing environment, planning, water and energy services. Same end markets and service overlap as MKO, but from a global, multi-billion-dollar parent with broader capabilities.
- WSP in Ireland: WSP operates a large Irish planning, environment and engineering consultancy competing directly with MKO for renewable energy, transport and built-environment mandates. Comparable in service mix and clients but with substantially greater international scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan social profiles
Digital presenceMcCarthy Keville O’Sullivan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan
What does McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan do?
MKO is Ireland's largest dedicated planning and environmental consultancy, delivering multi-disciplinary consulting services through 14 specialist teams covering planning, environmental impact assessment, ecology, ornithology, renewables, water, acoustics, bat surveys, drone surveys, GIS and digital, health and safety, land agent services, landscape and visual assessment, project management, and research. The firm secures planning permissions, conducts environmental and ecological surveys, and provides strategic advisory for renewable energy, residential, commercial, healthcare, education, infrastructure and industrial development projects across Ireland.
Is McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan a public or private company?
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan founded?
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan was founded in 2008. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan based?
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan is headquartered in Galway, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan make money?
One revenue line is on record: planning and Environmental Consultancy Services.
Who are McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Scott Cawley, Fehily Timoney & Company, TOBIN Consulting Engineers, Malone O'Regan and Roughan & O'Donovan (ROD). Broad incumbents are Jacobs Ireland, Mott MacDonald Ireland, Arup Ireland, AECOM Ireland and WSP in Ireland.
Does McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan have an API?
No public API is recorded for McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan.
What industry is McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan in?
McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan's product category is Environmental & Planning Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHAJAM, Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital), with a secondary code of BPAHAIAD, Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54162 and its SIC code is 8742.