Meet the Visionaries Behind Integrity Security

At Integrity Security, our success is built on a foundation of experience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Leading our team are two industry veterans whose combined expertise spans over 25 years in the security sector: Co-Founders Shea McNelis and Pat Byrne. Together, they've transformed how Ireland approaches event security, bringing hospitality-focused service and cutting-edge technology to an industry traditionally focused solely on protection.

Shea McNelis - Co-Founder: From Sound Engineer to Security Innovator

Shea McNelis brings a unique background to Integrity Security. With 30 years of experience in the entertainment and events industry, Shea began his career as a sound engineer before moving into venue management. His love for music was the driving force when he went on to book lots of international artists before stepping into management. Shea managed Donegal acts The Revs, who toured Europe and the US, and Irish Eurovision entry Mickey Joe Harte, who went on to Number 1 selling records and multiple platinum sales. He also was a talent booker and event manager for a number of festivals and venues across the country.

This unique background in entertainment gave him an insider's perspective on what makes events truly successful-and where security often falls short.

As Co-Founder, Shea has been recognized as the All-Star Business Person of the Year 2023 and honoured as a Fellow (FAIBF) of the All Ireland Business Foundation-a prestigious accolade bestowed upon specially selected members in recognition of their work and achievements. He's also been named the AIBF Dublin Entrepreneur of the Year 2025, cementing his reputation as an accredited thought leader in events and marketing.

Beyond Integrity Security, Shea founded Stiles Events, Voices of the Sea, and Swerve Music Ltd, demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit across the entertainment and events landscape. This diverse experience allows him to understand security challenges from multiple perspectives-as a promoter, producer, and protector.

Leadership Through Adversity

When COVID-19 brought the events industry to a standstill, Shea's leadership truly shone. Rather than waiting for the industry to rebound, he swiftly pivoted the company's expertise, leveraging his team's creativity to venture into online training programs for retail businesses adapting to new health protocols. Most notably, Integrity Security played a crucial role in securing COVID-19 testing centres across Ireland, helping the nation navigate one of its most challenging public health crises.

"Embrace your values, ignore the noise, and learn from failures," Shea advises aspiring entrepreneurs in a 2023 podcast interview. "Living by Integrity Security's name, the most important thing is surrounding yourself with the right people."

"Integrity is not just our name, it's our mission," Shea explains. "We treat our people with respect, we listen to our customers and believe that our client's customers are our customers. My background in running venues and understanding values drives us to be better and have a positive impact on the people we work with and for."

His impact on iconic events like the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade and DP World Golf Tour has been instrumental in elevating Ireland's reputation for world-class event management. Shea's journey proves that success isn't just about events and security-it's about resilience, values, and embracing change.

Pat Byrne - Co-Founder: Pioneering Customer-Centric Security

With over 30 years of experience in the security industry, Pat Byrne has established himself as one of Ireland's most trusted and innovative security professionals. As Co-Founder of Integrity Security, Pat has been instrumental in positioning the company as the leading specialist in event security, static security, and site security across the

Republic of Ireland.

What sets Pat apart is his unwavering commitment to redefining what security means in modern Ireland. Throughout his career, Pat recognized that the security industry needed to evolve beyond traditional approaches, creating services that enhance the customer experience while keeping people safe. This vision has been central to Integrity Security's philosophy of putting people first-whether they're event attendees, clients, or team members.

A Vision for Excellence

Pat's vision has always been focused on innovation and reliability. Under his leadership, Integrity Security has secured prestigious partnerships and delivered security solutions for some of Ireland's most high-profile events, including:

• St. Patrick's Day Festival (Best Partnership Award winner)

• Garth Brooks and Ed Sheeran concerts in Croke Park

• Electric Picnic, All Together Now, and Beyond the Pale festivals

• The Irish Open, Women's Irish Open, and Horizon Irish Open golf tournaments

• Major sporting events at Tallaght Stadium, including UEFA Cup Finals and League of Ireland matches

• International events featuring high-profile visitors such as Will Ferrell and the NFL

His dedication to excellence has earned recognition through accolades such as the Best Partnership Award with the St. Patrick's Day Festival and the Business All-Star Accreditation, which the company has achieved six consecutive years running. Integrity Security has also been recognized as the AIBF Superteam 2024.

Leading with Values

Pat's hands-on approach extends beyond event management. Reflecting on his work, Pat has shared: "There are moments that I pinch myself in what we are doing. I have always loved sport, all sport, football, GAA, Rugby, Golf and Hurling..." This passion for bringing communities together through sport drives his commitment to ensuring every event-whether it's a local community gathering or a major international festival-receives the same level of professionalism and care.

Pat ensures that Integrity Security's values of integrity, courage, and doing what's right over what's easy remain at the forefront of every operation. His leadership style combines operational expertise with genuine care for the teams on the ground, creating an environment where excellence is the standard and people are valued.

A Partnership Built on Shared Values and Innovation

Together, Pat and Shea have built Integrity Security on a foundation that goes far beyond traditional security services. Their partnership combines Pat's operational excellence and industry experience with Shea's entertainment background and customer service philosophy, creating a unique approach that has revolutionized how security is delivered in Ireland.

The Customer Service Revolution

From the beginning, Pat and Shea shared a vision: security professionals should be ambassadors for events, not just guards. They built Integrity Security on the principle that exceptional security service means being the friendly, professional face of every event while maintaining the highest standards of safety and protection.

This philosophy means that Integrity Security staff represent a uniform culture of excellence across every event. The company has become known for delivering security solutions that protect people while enhancing their overall event experience-a balance that requires skilled professionals, excellent training, and a genuine commitment to hospitality alongside security.

Technology Meets Tradition

Innovation has always been central to their approach. The company has embraced cutting-edge technology in the Irish security sector, developing systems that give clients comprehensive oversight of their security operations while providing staff with the tools they need to communicate effectively and respond quickly to any situation.

This blend of technology with traditional security expertise has allowed Integrity Security to scale from startup to industry leader, now regularly deploying 400+ staff at major festivals and providing security solutions that have protected over 4 million people at events across Ireland in 2025 alone.

A People-First Culture

The commitment to their team has been recognized nationally, with Integrity Security named in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025. The company embraces true diversity with 27 nationalities represented across their workforce, creating an inclusive environment that fosters collaboration, mutual respect, and shared success.

The co-founders have built a company culture that makes security a stable and rewarding career choice, providing job security, consistent work schedules, and competitive benefits to ensure long-term employment and professional growth for everyone on their team.

Building for the Future

Under Pat and Shea's leadership, Integrity Security has earned some of Ireland's most prestigious business honors:

• Six-time Business All-Star winners from the All Ireland Business Foundation (AIBF)

• OSPA Outstanding Security Performance Award for Best Security Partnership with St. Patrick's Day Festival

• AIBF Superteam 2024 recognition

• Sunday Times Best Place to Work 2025

With PSA License Number 10058 and a reputation for delivering tailored security solutions, Shea and Pat continue to drive Integrity Security forward. From Electric Picnic and the Irish Open to Tallaght Stadium and major corporate events, their leadership ensures that safety, professionalism, and exceptional customer service remain at the heart of everything the company does.

2025 Highlights

This year has been exceptional for Integrity Security, with the team providing security solutions for some of Ireland's most prestigious and high-profile events:

• St Patrick's Festival in Dublin - Continuing their award-winning partnership

• The Open in Portrush - Major championship golf

• The Fleadh in Wexford - Ireland's premier traditional music festival

• The Irish Open in The K Club - DP World Tour event

• Zach Bryan in Phoenix Park - Major concert event

• The NFL in Dublin - International American football

• Electric Picnic - One of Ireland's biggest music festivals

• All Together Now - Multi-day festival experience

• Traitors reality TV show - Television production security

Looking to the Future

As Integrity Security continues to grow and take on new challenges-from securing European football fixtures to protecting major concerts and festivals-Shea and Pat remain committed to their founding principles. They're not just building Ireland's leading security company; they're redefining what professional security means in the 21st century.

Their journey from different corners of the events and security industries to creating a unified vision for excellence demonstrates what's possible when experience meets innovation, and when operational expertise combines with genuine care for people.

We look forward to working on some amazing events in 2026. We also look forward to our new 5 year strategy with the growth of our business, new team members and building other parts of our business across the 32 counties of Ireland.

Want to learn more about our security services or join our award-winning team? Visit www.integritysecurity.ie