James Byrne is the Managing Director of Southgate Associates, where he is employed as a Senior Built Heritage Consultant and License-Eligible Archaeologist. James manages a variety of conservation projects onsite and also leads Southgate Associates delivery of EIAR/ Architectural Heritage Impact Assessments / Conservation Management Plans and Strategies / Condition and Structural Reports, particularly in relation to the planning process. He has been involved in compiling and implementing detailed conservation strategies for a variety of architectural and archaeological heritage, from nationally significant medieval structures, rural vernacular structures, bridges across the country to large scale infrastructural schemes working alongside and advising, where needed, the Heritage Council, the National Monuments Service, The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as well as a variety of significant government and private bodies and consultancies.

James also advises on planning and design issues in relation to architectural heritage/archaeology, and acts as a member of the design team on a variety of large-scale projects. He manages various scales of project, currently being the Architectural Heritage Lead on the €600m NTA Cork Bus Connects project, coordinating the Survey, GIS and EIAR aspects of the Southgate Associates team on the project.

Previous to being with Southgate Associates James worked with a specialist masonry company, and as an archaeologist to supervisor level in a variety of roles on a wide range of sites across the country, with a particular interest in post medieval archaeology. He recently took forward this interest, completing the Certificate in Buildings Archaeology in Atlantic Technological University. James is a full member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland.