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(Shot Firer, Blaster, Explosives Technician, Blast Crew Operator)
Construction & Trades
Salary
€36,000 - €65,000/yr
Level
Professional
Outlook
Stable
Sector
Construction & Trades
As a shotfirer you plan, prepare, and safely detonate explosive charges to break up rock, concrete, or other materials on construction, quarrying, or demolition sites. Your daily work involves inspecting prospective blast areas, drilling or checking boreholes, connecting blasting circuits, and managing explosives in strict accordance with Irish legislation and site safety plans. You work closely with civil engineers, quarry managers, site supervisors, and other trades operatives to coordinate blast timing and ensure all personnel and equipment are clear of the danger zone. After each detonation you examine the area for misfires, unstable material, or hazards, and complete detailed records and incident reports as required. The role demands a high level of personal responsibility, as errors in planning or execution can have serious consequences for safety.
Listen: a day as a Shotfirer
Your alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m. You are working on a quarry site in County Wicklow today, and you need to be on site before the general workforce arrives. You drive out in your own van, signing in at the gatehouse by 6:30 a.m. The site manager briefs you on the planned blast location — a bench face roughly fifteen metres high that needs to come down to make way for a new access road. Before anything else, you check the weather. High wind or electrical storms can make a blast unsafe, and you have turned back before when conditions were wrong. By 7:00 a.m. you are at the explosives magazine — a locked, reinforced store set well away from site buildings, licensed under the Explosives Act. You sign out the exact quantities of ANFO (ammonium nitrate fuel oil, a common blasting agent) and detonators recorded on your paperwork. Every gram is accounted for, and you countersign with the magazine keeper. Regulations overseen by the Department of Justice and the Health and Safety Authority are strict, and any discrepancy means stopping work.
Entry into shotfiring in Ireland typically requires a solid Junior and Senior Cycle education, with Leaving Certificate subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Construction Studies providing a useful foundation. You must hold a valid shotfirer's licence issued by the Department of Justice under the Explosives Act, which requires you to pass a formal examination demonstrating knowledge of explosives handling, blasting theory, and safety legislation. Many practitioners enter the industry through QQI Level 5 or Level 6 programmes in construction or quarrying operations delivered through ETBs or Colleges of Further Education, or gain relevant experience as a construction operative or quarry worker before applying for a licence. SOLAS-registered apprenticeships in related trades such as civil engineering or stone cutting can also provide a relevant background. Employers such as quarrying companies, civil engineering contractors, and specialist demolition firms typically require you to hold or be working towards your licence before taking on full shotfiring duties. Ongoing CPD and periodic licence renewal are necessary to remain compliant with current Irish regulations.
Most shotfirers begin their careers as general construction or quarry operatives, gaining site experience before studying for and obtaining their Department of Justice shotfirer's licence. With a few years of licensed experience, you can progress to senior shotfirer or blast supervisor roles, taking responsibility for planning complex blasts and managing smaller teams. Experienced professionals may advance into quarry management, civil engineering project coordination, or specialist demolition consultancy. Some move into training, safety consulting, or technical sales roles with explosives supply companies.
AI and digital tools are beginning to influence blast design, with software capable of modelling rock fragmentation, vibration propagation, and fly-rock risk, helping shotfirers plan more precise and efficient blasts. Remote monitoring systems and drone surveys can now assess blast outcomes and site conditions more quickly, reducing the time operators need to spend in potentially hazardous areas. However, the physical, highly regulated, and safety-critical nature of connecting circuits, inspecting boreholes, and managing live explosives means that on-site human judgement remains essential and cannot be automated. AI is therefore more likely to enhance the shotfirer's efficiency and precision than to displace the role.
→ Shotfirer (Current role)
Organisations in Ireland that employ people in this occupation.
Fortunestown, Dublin & nationwide quarries
Shotfirers blast limestone and aggregate in active quarry operations
Kilsaran, Co. Louth & multiple quarry sites
Quarry blasting to extract raw materials for concrete and asphalt production
Nationwide quarry and construction sites
Large-scale rock blasting across multiple Irish aggregates quarry operations
Dublin & major infrastructure project sites nationwide
Controlled blasting on civil engineering and major infrastructure contracts
Dublin & regional civil engineering sites
Shotfirers support tunnelling, road cutting, and earthworks blast operations
Belfast & republic-wide quarry and construction sites
Rock breaking and quarry blasting across aggregates and civil projects
Milverton, Co. Wicklow & other quarry sites
Drilling and blasting programmes within active aggregate quarry extraction
Co. Tipperary & nationwide
Specialist contractor providing dedicated shotfiring and drilling services nationwide
Dublin & major project sites nationwide
Shotfirers engaged on large civil and underground construction contracts
Nationwide road and rail project sites
Contracted shotfiring required on TII-funded road cutting and tunnelling schemes
Dublin Port & Dunkirk-linked Irish operations
Blasting specialists support raw material extraction feeding cement substitute production
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