JJ Kavanagh and Sons
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| Founded | 1919 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Urlingford, County Kilkenny, Ireland |
| Service area | Ireland United Kingdom |
| Destinations | Dublin Dublin Airport Limerick Clonmel Kilkenny Waterford Watford Carlow Naas |
| Hubs | Urlingford Waterford Nenagh Clonmel Naas |
| Website | jjkavanagh.ie |
JJ Kavanagh and Sons is Ireland's largest private coach operator. It was founded in 1919 by J.J. Kavanagh with the operation of a service connecting Urlingford with Kilkenny City.
The company has expanded greatly since the 1990s with the take-over of Kenneally's coach operators in Waterford. Its head office is in Urlingford, County Kilkenny. There are also offices in Naas, Dublin, Clonmel, Nenagh, Waterford and Carlow.[citation needed]
History
[edit]Origins and development
[edit]JJ Kavanagh and Sons was founded in 1919 by James Kavanagh, and his wife Mollie, with the running of a daily coach service between Urlingford and Kilkenny.[1] In the 1940s, the couple's sons took over the business.[1] In the following years, the company expanded with an increase both in fleet size and in number of routes. This included the introduction of an Urlingford - Clonmel route.[citation needed] At the time, the company had a lucrative delivery contract with some of Ireland's largest newspaper companies.[citation needed]
Change in market and expansion
[edit]With the decline in the prominence of the newspaper in Ireland, JJ Kavanagh and Sons lost their delivery deal and were forced to find new sources of income.[citation needed] The business saw rapid expansion from the 1980s onwards as they launched a number of intercity routes.[citation needed] The expansion of intercity routes was made possible for the company as a result of their acquisition of a number of coach companies across the south-east of Ireland in Naas, Nenagh, Waterford and Clonmel as well as the opening of sub-offices in Carlow and Dublin.[citation needed]
In 2011, the company expanded internationally by purchasing Mullany's coaches in Watford, England. This deal was believed to have been in the region of €1 million.[2]
As of 2019, the company reportedly had a workforce of approximately 250 people.[1]
Services operated
[edit]The company also operates a number of local bus services, including those in Waterford and Tramore and intercity express services from Dublin Airport and Dublin city to Limerick, Waterford, Clonmel, Carlow and Kilkenny.[citation needed] As of 2019, it had also started a service from Dublin Airport and Dublin city to Naas in County Kildare.[citation needed]
Fleet
[edit]The company's coach fleet, which operates on intercity services, is made up of over one hundred Setra 400 series Neoplan Tourliner and Mercedes Tourismo coaches.[citation needed] The feature air conditioning, reclining seats, on-board toilets, seatbelts, USB sockets and audio/visual facilities.[citation needed] The number plate of each bus is made up entirely of number ones.[citation needed]
It was the first coach company in Ireland to introduce free Wi-Fi onto some of its coaches in 2009.[citation needed]
The bus fleet operated by the company on the town and city routes is made up of Mercedes-Benz Citaros.[citation needed]
J. J. Kavanagh & Sons became the first operator of the MCV Evora in Ireland, taking delivery of three examples in early 2018.[3]
Other works
[edit]JJ Kavanagh and Sons plays a role in the Kilkenny and Carlow Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) scene, sponsoring several of the hurling and Gaelic football competitions in the counties.[citation needed] They also sponsor the Kilkenny camogie team.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Driven to success – JJ Kavanagh & Sons celebrate 100th anniversary". kilkennynow.ie. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "This is a Cinderella business and an invisible export. It is very hard to touch, and to quantify, and to feel". The Sunday Business Post. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "J. J. Kavanagh takes MCV's new EvoRa | Buses Magazine". Busesmag.com. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
External links
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