Meeting my husband and joining the family business in my late 20s, he couldn’t move to Dublin as his business was based in Urlingford… so I had to move down the country.

My Mum & Dad’s work ethos inspired me my entire life. My mum started working in Aer Lingus in the 60s, ran a language school in Swords & Malahide in the 80’s and ended up working as a tour manager for Insight Vacations up until her retirement in her mid 70’s, Dad worked in the haulage industry and never stopped. He was a very loyal, proud and hardworking man. He would never ask anyone to do something he wasn’t prepared to do himself. I suppose nowadays, you could say, he had no notions about himself and was always happy to roll up his sleeves. Both my parents taught my sister & myself the value of being honest and hardworking.

After college, I worked for the accountant (and serial entrepreneur) who imported bicycles into Ireland. I set up a cycling holiday company for him, offering cycling holidays in West Cork, The Ring of Kerry and Connemara. I spent most winter weekends working at consumer holiday shows in France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany promoting our business to holidaymakers long before there were any Greenways in Ireland. I also did the usual European Travel Trade Shows on the Failte Ireland stands, ITB Berlin, World Travel Market, FITUR, Vakantiebeurs. It was great fun and living out of a suitcase was a breeze then. I ended up working for Failte Ireland, promoting Ireland as a destination for walking & cycling holidays for an industry product marketing group. As a natural progression when I married & relocated, I moved on and joined my husband’s family company and have been there ever since. His dad set it up in the 1960’s but retired in 1996. My husband and his brother took over the company and we changed the direction of the business. Previously they focused on affordable outbound tours to Blackpool, Lourdes and Europe, before Ryanair opened the Island to affordable airfare. When I joined ‘the firm’ I used the contacts I had made over the years to reach out to inbound tour operators to Ireland and sell our transportation services. It’s been very successful, we work hard to ensure our clients have a local expert partner they can always rely on. Long-term working relationships are important, and our clients appreciate knowing we’re only a phone call away 24/7.

I coordinate coach tours of Ireland, deal with hotels, set up contracts for my clients, arrange tour guides, book attractions and oversee the day-to-day operations of the business. We also have a very busy Service Station attached to the coach garage which I also manage.

Attracting the right talent is always difficult. The coach transport business is a 24/7 job and there is very little ‘downtime’ for operators. Personal plans can be thrown out the window due to driver illness, passenger issues, flight delays and vehicle problem (diesel theft, vehicle damage/ vandalism). During peak season, within a family business, the job really dictates your personal life.

My team, I have some truly wonderful people working with me, our drivers & guides are amazing, they work hard to ensure our clients tour operations are flawless. But the back office team are the backbone of the operation that hold it all together. It’s like mission control. On any given day, you’re working with tours currently out, tours coming in, planning tours for up to 2 years in advance, dealing with incoming agents whilst still doing all the necessary work like payroll, VAT and accounts. No two days are ever the same.

There are lots of nights away from home, whilst this sounds fun when starting out in your career, let’s be honest, there really is nothing like your own bed!

I am very methodical; I plan for everything and always have a ‘Plan B’ in place.

I loved French & Spanish in school, it’s so important to be able to speak another language. Education is something that continues through life though and it’s important to remember that although diploma & degrees are a fantastic, there are so many more ways now to progress your tourism career. The ETB’s apprenticeship programme is a wonderful scheme and can be a solid foundation for careers throughout the entire tourism industry but especially tourism transport!

My national school was St Cronan’s in Swords - a wonderful, huge, secure & happy school. I adored my time in national school and had some wonderful inspiring teachers. My secondary education was Loreto in North Great Georges Street and then I moved to the RTC in Dundalk (now Dundalk IT) where I did a diploma in Marketing. I wasn’t terribly interested in college and didn’t overly enjoy beyond 1st year’s fresher week! I stuck with it because my parents would not have been too impressed if I dropped out, but it wasn’t really for me. I did CERT courses when I started working and really enjoyed them, that set me up for managing tour programmes (CERT was the government training agency for the tourism industry).

I really feel the best education I have got is on the job training from mentors and colleagues over the years, you never stop learning. Watch, ask, listen & learn.

During Covid, I became very vocal about the struggles the coach transport industry was going through to survive through the pandemic. I was on Morning Ireland, Six One new, Newstalk, Claire Byrne and Joe Duffy’s LIveline lots of times.

I won the Fleet Bus & Coach Awards 2024 Service to the Public Transport Industry award, that was a huge honour and surprise!

I sit on the Executive Council of the CTTC, the Coach Tourism & Transport Council of Ireland. This is an incredibly rewarding position within the transport industry. The CTTC has strategically lobbied government departments successfully over the last 5 year creating massive industry improvements for all coach transport operators in Ireland. For years, I was the only woman on the EC but thrilled this year to be joined by two other women. I am proud to say that it’s an industry that I have never felt any sort of discrimination as a woman, in fact I have experienced nothing but encouragement & courtesy from my male industry colleagues over the years.

I have my dream job; I have been able to bring up my children understanding the value tourism has to the Irish economy and have respect for international visitors to our shores. I have been privileged to sell Ireland. I have worked successfully with my husband for nearly 25 years and still enjoy heading into the office every morning.

Although both my kids are now grown up in their mid-20’s, balancing life as a working mother was really hard. I don’t think people really understand the pressure working mums of young kids are under. Summer holidays are a nightmare, especially during peak season when you’re at your maximum if you work in any tourism operational role. I spent summers with my kids bundled in the back of the car dealing with coach tour groups and sorting out issues. By the time my kids were 4 & 6, they knew every hotel & attraction in Ireland and the proximity it was to the nearest Smyth’s toys. However, I have always loved my job, the people I have met, the friendships made and the financial security it has afforded me, I feel I am blessed.

Never be afraid to ask questions, seek advice from people who inspire you. Reach out to established professionals within your desired career choice and ask can they spare you 15 minutes for career advice. I don’t know of anybody that would refuse a student 15 mins to inspire or advise them.

Be positive, be methodical and be passionate about your career.

I am constantly doing courses with Carlow Kilkenny ETB, Skillnet and LEO. A colleague & I look forward to their newsletters every month to see what catches our eye. You can do Excel, Canva, Digital Marketing, HR, Safety training…….the list is endless. There is a massive world out there of very affordable and enjoyable courses just waiting for you.

I am a firm believer that everyone should work in a service or hospitality industry job at an early stage within their working life. Retail, bar work, restaurant, hotel … any job that teaches you how to interact confidently with people. It will stand to you in any career choice you take in life.

Group Operations Director at Pierce Kavanagh Coaches.