About Us
We are HCS, an IT and Telecoms company that exists to empower people and their businesses with the best-in-class solutions they need to succeed.
Who We Are
HCS first set out nearly thirty years ago, with a simple goal – to protect our customers, and their businesses. The industry has seen some pretty big changes since 1994, but our steadfast dedication to keeping our customers productive and safe has kept us at the cutting edge of the industry, always striving to be better. Always ahead of the curve.
With offices in Dublin, Cork and Waterford, we are one of Ireland’s leading Managed IT Services and Telecoms companies. Big enough to know, yet small enough to care, we offer an incredible depth of expertise and an impeccable track record. We deliver airtight solutions for clients across a range of industries, including pharma, manufacturing, agriculture and hospitality.
We have crafted valuable partnerships with Microsoft, Fortinet, Dell and Zultys to become a key supplier of their solutions, making us a leading IT Company in Ireland.
We have gone from strength to strength over the years, building up a team with the skills, experience and certifications you need to ensure that your systems are safe and your business secure. We truly are an expert in your corner.
Our Values
Responsibility
We value accountability and personal ownership. And are proud that as a team, we always do what we say. And deliver as promised.
Integrity
We value truth and honesty. We always do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. It’s what fosters trust among our team and with our clients.
Competency
We value ability, knowledge and skills and our people’s commitment to personal development and the continual improvement of each.
Empathy
We value the ability to understand another’s perspective and circumstances. It is what allows us perfectly tailor solutions to our clients’ needs.
Consideration
We value the caring and cooperative nature of our team. And their ability to adapt their communication style to suit their audience.
People
Most importantly, we value people – their happiness, fulfilment and development. We are grateful for each and every member of our team, who go above and beyond the call of duty to assist and protect our clients daily.
Responsibility
We value accountability and personal ownership. And are proud that as a team, we always do what we say. And deliver as promised.
Competency
We value ability, knowledge and skills and our people’s commitment to personal development and the continual improvement of each.
Consideration
We value the caring and cooperative nature of our team. And their ability to adapt their communication style to suit their audience.
Empathy
We value the ability to understand another’s perspective and circumstances. It is what allows us perfectly tailor solutions to our clients’ needs.
Integrity
We value truth and honesty. We always do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. It’s what fosters trust among our team and with our clients.
People
Most importantly, we value people – their happiness, fulfilment and development. We are grateful for each and every member of our team, who go above and beyond the call of duty to assist and protect our clients daily.
Meet the Leadership Team
Neil Phelan
CEO
Our CEO Neil has come a long way since he started out programming floppy disks to write accountancy packages. With more than 25 years in the business, Neil has worked with a huge range of national and international organisations at senior management level. He joined HCS in 2003 and just one year later became an owner and director of the business. Neil’s background in software development, systems analysis and ERP has enabled us to build an expert team of developers and cloud productivity specialists here, enhancing our unique reputation as a world-class IT solutions and services provider.
A passionate Waterford hurling fan, Neil is still dreaming about the holy grail – the Liam McCarthy Cup – returning to the Deise. As he waits patiently, he enjoys relaxing with his horses.
Dan Hegarty
Head of Sales
Dan Hegarty co-founded HCS in 1998, having worked in the family business Hegarty Computer Services prior to this. He worked in both technical and operational roles within the company in the early days, before concentrating primarily on sales consultancy from 2004. With almost 27 years in the business, he has built up a wealth of experience applying technology to literally hundreds of different businesses. Dan now heads up sales and business development in our Dublin office, with 50% of our clients now based in Dublin.
Outside of IT, Dan loves reading (e-books, of course) political history, and keeping abreast of world affairs. Outdoors, Dan loves cycling in the countryside, and has a keen interest in gliding also, living close to the Dublin Gliding Club.
Sean Hegarty
Head of Operations
After spending 12 years working in the UK, Sean returned to Ireland in 1997 to become a co-founding member of HCS. Although he’s been involved in all aspects of the business over the years, in his current role as Operations Director Sean oversees the day to day running of the business. He holds a BA (Hons) Law with Business, and an MSc in Technology Management. With 25 years of experience in our industry, Sean is a true expert in the sector, and a linchpin of the HCS team.
Sean lives in Waterford, loves sports and keeping fit, and is a dedicated family man, and something of an eco-warrior.
Tim Murphy
Senior Technical Consultant
As a graduate of the Tralee Institute of Technology, both with a National Certificate & Diploma in Computing and a BCS in Computing Software Development, Tim knows IT like the back of his hand.
Before joining us here in the sunny South East, Tim spent 17 years working in the IT sector in Kerry. As our Senior Project Engineer, Tim oversees everything we do. His unparalleled expertise is imperative to our operations here, and he loves working closely with our customers to implement new solutions that help their businesses thrive. He is an expert in practically every facet of IT, with a particular interest in servers and virtualisation technologies. To relax offline, Tim enjoys reading and walking.
Astrid O’Connor
Head of Managed Services and Support
Astrid spent 14 years working in the leisure sector before heading back to university in 2009 to retrain in IT. After completing an HDip in Science in Computing at ITB Blanchardstown and an FAS course in Networking and Computing,
Astrid joined the team here at HCS in 2014. Starting out as an intern on our service desk, Astrid quickly impressed us and joined full-time in January 2015 as an L1 agent, soon progressing to L2 with a speciality in Backups and Disaster Recovery. Since then she has steadily risen through the ranks, progressing to a new role as the Service Desk Supervisor in 2017 and her current role as our IT Service Delivery Manager.
Johnny Kiely
CTO
Johnny got his first computer at the age of 12 and straight away started taking it apart and putting it back together again. By the time he was 15, he was building PCs for his friends and family. He studied IT at the Waterford Institute of Technology, and in 2004 started working in the IT department of a small Dungarvan MSP called Datasystems. In 2009 he moved to Radius Technologies as a Senior Field Service Engineer, supporting a variety of companies in the SME sector, until in 2012 he joined the team here as our Service Delivery Manager. In 2015 he took on the role of Technical Manager, and plays a crucial part in keeping everything running smoothly here. Johnny is continually expanding his IT knowledge, taking a variety of different courses at the Open University or doing vendor exams such as Microsoft, Cisco & VMWare.
When the weather behaves itself, Johnny heads for the mountains or the sea. When it doesn’t, which is most of the time, he likes to lose himself in a good book.
Barbara Creane
Head of Finance
Barbara’s work in finance started out when she moved to Australia back in the 90s. Joining a small software development company as a Junior Accounts Assistant, she quickly rose through the ranks to become the company’s Director of Operations, responsible for all finance, HR, admin and marketing. She was then recruited by eBay Australia as their Office Manager, tasked with expanding the business into two additional offices in Central Sydney.
When she moved back to Ireland, Barbara began a maternity cover role in the accounts department here at HCS. This rapidly led to the creation of the Financial Controller position. In this role she helps to ensure the financial stability of HCS. When she’s not working, Barbara loves sports, and is an avid Liverpool FC fan.
Cathy Gilmartin
Head of Marketing
Cathy has over 25 years experience in marketing within the IT industry. After a few years working in the tech sector overseas in Australia, Cathy returned to Dublin. She worked in several fast-growing IT companies throughout the noughties before joining HCS in 2020. Cathy loves her work bridging the gap between design and development, delivering engaging communications and creative, client-facing content. She works alongside the management team here to grow our brand and reputation as one of Ireland’s most innovative and trusted providers of IT Services.
Cathy always enjoys a good GAA match, and as an avid open water swimmer, never shies away from a challenge. She loves music, playing clarinet in various groups locally.
Paul Sexton
Cyber Security Sales Specialist for Enterprise
Paul has always had a keen interest in technology. With 10+ years in the business Paul has seen firsthand how technology has advanced. In recent times Paul has developed a solid background in cyber security solutions. After several years working in Canada with Intrusion Detection Systems Paul returned to his native Cork and worked in the Identity and Access Management area. In HCS Paul heads up the Enterprise Cyber Security Sales Division. As Advanced Fortinet Partners Paul’s expertise is critical to helping HCS grow as a major supplier of Cyber Security Solutions and Services to enterprise size businesses in Ireland.
Outside of work Paul likes to golf although with 2 young kids it’s less rather than more! He is also a keen Liverpool fan and enjoys keeping fit.
Pat Henderson
Managed Services Sales Specialist
Pat’s journey in the IT industry started over 30 years ago when he graduated from UL with a degree in Electronic Engineering. Since then he has worked in several technology companies and has honed his craft of really understanding what a customer needs from their IT. Pat is a sounding board for many of our customers when they are looking for advice particularly in the Cyber Security space. Having managed a variety of SME, Enterprise and local and central government accounts Pat has come across many issues and knows how to solve them. He is the epitome of an expert in your corner!
Pat is a proud Kilkenny man and enjoys a bit of competitive chat with his Waterford colleagues! He likes to keep fit and enjoys some quiet time fishing.
John White
Head of Cyber Security Solutions
John joined HCS back in 2004, then a company of just 11 people, and helped us grow into the market-leading business we are today. As one of the only specialists in Ireland with an NSE 7 Network Security Architect qualification, John is a bit of a big cheese when it comes to cyber security. With more than 30 years’ experience in the IT industry, and having worked for two of Ireland’s leading IT companies, his expertise and creative troubleshooting are invaluable for our work. He currently specialises in Fortinet portfolio, HCS voice systems and security.
In his spare time, John loves sports and the outdoors. He coaches basketball and is a chairman of the local swimming club.
Dylan Breslin
Senior IT Project Manager
Our IT Project Manager Dylan graduated from the Waterford Institute of Technology in 2018 with a BSC in Information Technology. He then went on to complete an HDIP in Business System Analysis, whilst working as an IT Helpdesk Engineer at Radius Technologies. Having recently completed a Level 6 QQI in Project Management, Dylan joined the HCS team as our IT Project Manager. Overseeing the development and installation of various systems for our clients, Dylan plays a crucial part in the delivery of our IT solutions.
When he’s offline, Dylan loves playing golf and watching American football (and real football).
Dylan Breslin
Senior IT Project Manager
Our IT Project Manager Dylan graduated from the Waterford Institute of Technology in 2018 with a BSC in Information Technology. He then went on to complete an HDIP in Business System Analysis, whilst working as an IT Helpdesk Engineer at Radius Technologies. Having recently completed a Level 6 QQI in Project Management, Dylan joined the HCS team as our IT Project Manager. Overseeing the development and installation of various systems for our clients, Dylan plays a crucial part in the delivery of our IT solutions.
When he’s offline, Dylan loves playing golf and watching American football (and real football).
Eoghan Cooney
Head of Finance
Eoghan leads all aspects of financial management and reporting within HCS. He is responsible for defining business performance management objectives, which will inform strategically important decisions. His role also involves shaping, driving, and delivering on the company strategy to maximise business performance.
Prior to joining HCS, Eoghan held senior financial roles with leading Irish and multinational organisations. He was Financial Controller for Bridgestone Retail Northern Europe and John West Foods, and was also Finance Manager with Aviva Ireland.
Eoghan holds a Bachelor of Economics from University College Cork and a Diploma in Financial Analysis from Chartered Accountants Ireland. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
