Callinan Coaches celebrates 30 years in style
20/05/2026
Celebrating 30 years in business in 2025, Callinan Coaches marked the milestone by acquiring Dublin Coach and picking up two awards at the Fleet Bus & Coach Awards at the Johnstown Estate in Enfield, Co. Meath.
One of the leading coach hire companies in Ireland with a modern fleet of 160 executive coaches and 30 double-deckers, and over 400 full-time and part-time staff, Callinan Coaches was delighted to win awards for ‘Coach Operator – Intercity & Airport Service’ and ‘Services to the Passenger Industry’ in recognition of owner Tommy Callinan’s remarkable contribution to the industry over the past three decades.
From humble beginnings in 1995 when he provided a coach transfer for Aran Ferries between Galway City and Rossaveel, Tommy has grown the Galway-headquartered operation into a multi-award-winning family business whose previous accolades include Coach Operator the Year 2010; Coach Operator of the Year – Best Intercity Service 2012; Coach Operator of the Year – Best Airport Services 2016; and Best Safety Practices of the Year 2020.
“It’s been a fantastic year,” Tommy’s daughter Emma enthuses.
“We acquired Dublin Coach in August in a deal that has brought an additional 130 staff and 65 coaches under our wing, and which creates an almost 200-vehicle business. With 188 daily services, it’s a massive undertaking, but dad saw it as an opportunity to grow the routes further and keep Callinan Coaches on an upward trajectory after 30 years in business.
“Winning the two awards was a lovely way to end a special year. We have 55 coaches dedicated to our contract with Citylink and it was great for this long standing partnership to be recognised with the ‘Coach Operator – Intercity & Airport Service’ award. We’ve been a main contractor of Citylink for 15 years and continue to enjoy an excellent relationship with them.
“The ‘Services to the Passenger Industry’ award means a lot to dad and the family. He had no idea he was getting it, and was completely taken aback. We were fortunate to be there as a family to see him receive it and the same could be said for our long-term drivers and team members, who were also in attendance. Dad is fiercely passionate about the transport industry. If it moves, he’s into it. He also has a huge appetite for work. If there was an eighth day in the week, he’d work it!
“While Tommy is the driving force, we’d be nothing without our amazing staff. The success of Callinan Coaches is down to the commitment, professionalism and passion they bring to delivering a high-quality service for our customers. We are extremely proud of our team,” adds Emma, whose brothers Tommy Jnr and Evan, and cousin Alan Byrne are also involved in the business.
Dublin Coach’s 188 daily services include: Route 300 (M7 Express) – Dublin City Centre to Ennis, Limerick, Tralee and Killarney with stops in the Red Cow Luas and Kildare Village, every 30 minutes during peak times; Route 600 (M9 Express) –Dublin to Cork via Waterford and Kilkenny, daily; Route 726 (N7 Service) – 24-hour connectivity from Dublin Airport with hourly departures stopping in Red Cow, Naas, Newbridge, Kildare, Portlaoise; and Route 750 (Dundrum Service) – 24/7 service between Dublin Airport and Dundrum.
Callinan Coaches also operates 188 daily services for Citylink. These include: Galway to Dublin City/Airport – 48 daily return service; Ennis/Limerick to Dublin Airport – 11 daily return services; Galway via Limerick City to Cork Airport – 8 daily return services; Castlebar to Dublin City/Dublin Airport – 6 return daily services; Galway to Dublin/Dublin Airport Multi-Stop – 9 return daily services; Ballina to Galway City – 5 return daily services; Clifden to Galway City – 9 return daily services.
In addition, Callinan Coaches has 50 executive coaches as part of its touring fleet. Since the early 2000s, the Galway operator has been one of the largest contractors to CIE, with 30 vehicles currently dedicated to its CIE Tours contract. Recently, as part of its commitment to sustainability, Callinan Coaches has been trialling biofuel on a number of its CIE Tours vehicles, the majority of which are wheelchair accessible.
Other tours operated by Callinan’s include My Ireland, Discover Ireland, Abbey Tours, Kuoni Tumari, Different Roads, Snow Coach and Midland Travel.
By combining a high-quality, modern fleet, sustainability initiatives, and expertly trained drivers and guides, Callinan Coaches consistently delivers exceptional touring experiences that uphold the reputation of CIE Tours and its other valued partners.
As part of an ongoing replenishment programme, Callinan Coaches took delivery of 31 new coaches made up of 70-seat Altano inter-deckers and 49-seat EX16s directly from Van Hool in Belgium this year. The company has placed an order with Van Hool for an additional 27 coaches in 2026, most of which will join the touring fleet.
“Our primary base is still here in Galway city, with our accompanying workshop located on the outskirts of Galway city where our trained team of mechanics conduct all repairs and inspections,” Emma explains.
“The fleet is maintained on a regular basis to ensure it is kept to the highest standards. We have established great working relationships with our suppliers that play a helping hand in the maintenance of our fleet – Cronin Coaches in Cork, Murphy Commercials and John Mannion Truck & Trailer Components, both based in Claregalway, Kevin Burke Tyres in Galway, Universal Graphics in Monaghan and Adtec in Navan to name but a few.
“It goes without saying we are very lucky with the team we have – our drivers, mechanics, cleaners, operations staff, tour manager and office staff. Without doubt, they are our greatest asset and are key to providing the excellent service we are renowned for.”
Alongside family members, Callinan’s loyal, long-serving staff bring unparalleled expertise, professionalism and pride in delivering excellence. This unique blend of family ethos and dedicated teamwork creates a culture of reliability, care and innovation that sets Callinan Coaches apart in the industry, and underpins its reputation as one of Ireland’s foremost coach operators.
With operational bases in Galway, Dublin, Cork, Ennis, Castlebar, Ballina and Limerick, Callinan Coaches is ideally positioned to provide services across Ireland, the UK and internationally. Despite its growth, Tommy remains at the coalface, both behind the wheel and in the boardroom, fostering a culture of commitment, excellence and pride.
He also runs two smaller businesses – Claregalway Logistics and West of Ireland Recovery - the latter in conjunction with the aforementioned Murphy Commercials. Through strategic growth, continuous investment, and a focus on luxury, safety, and reliability Callinan Coaches has become an award-winning, industry-leading coach operator.
As Callinan Coaches continues to go from strength to strength, the company would like to take this opportunity to thank its passengers and suppliers for their continued support as well as its staff for their hard work, dedication and expertise.
Here’s to the next 30 years!
Callinan Coaches Ltd
Kiniska,
Claregalway,
Co. Galway.
Telephone: 091 798 324
Email: [email protected]
First published in Irish Trucker magazine May/June 2026, Vol 29-3
