Irish Tractor & Agri caught up with Paschal O’Shea of Kilsheelan Limestone Quarries Ltd who gave us the low-down on the burgeoning business he runs in conjunction with his wife Deirdre.
The Quarry industry is a significant sector of the Irish economy. Though production levels are significantly reduced from those of 2008 there are still a large number of operating quarries and sand pits and the industry is in a good position to expand if there is growth in the construction industry.
Limestone is the most commonly extracted mineral although other types of rock and aggregates are produced. Over 2 million tonnes of finely crushed limestone is used each year to improve lime-deficient soils in many parts of Ireland.
Stone, sand and aggregates are used as the main ingredients to produce value added products such as cement, concrete, blocks, pre-cast sections, asphalt, tiles and numerous other products.
Kilsheelan Limestone Quarries are leading suppliers of top quality products to the construction and agriculture sectors. Specialising in the quarrying of limestone, they are renowned for their excellent customer service and depth of expertise across their extensive product range.
Located just outside Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Kilsheelan Limestone Quarries commenced trading in late 2015 and in a short space of time have earned an enviable reputation for producing quality products that meet the varied needs of their customers.
Their client base includes the farming community, building contractors and local authorities, to name but a few, and their prices are consistently monitored to ensure that their customers have the confidence in knowing that they are one of the most competitive suppliers in their chosen area of expertise.
Paschal and Deirdre are the brains behind the operation and their combined experience of the construction and quarrying industries has help to lay solid foundations as they seek to continue moving Kilsheelan Limestone Quarries in an upward direction.
“My background is in plant hire and construction,” Paschal revealed to Irish Tractor & Agri. “I worked in Roadstone 25-years ago as a fitter and that morphed into a plant hire and construction company. We worked practically full-time for Glanbia for 10 years and were responsible for building all the ‘Country Life’ stores in the country.
“Deirdre has lots of experience in the quarry business from working with her father Noel Kent of Kent Quarries, who is now retired,” he added.
“Kilsheelan Quarries is up and running since last May after we bought the quarry and plant from Cemex. We’re NSAI certified and produce limestone products to SR 21 specification. We have six employees while our son Larry helps out in the office when he’s not at school.”
And Paschal was pleased to report that their products are very much in demand at this point in time.
“It’s very much a case of so far, so good. Business is going well and we have a lot of public sector work – schools, hospitals, green ways – going on at the moment.
“We’re in three hospitals with JJ Rhatigan Construction and have a pharmaceutical job on with Tom O’Brien in Clonmel as well as a green way project for Tipperary County Council and a Special Needs Schools in Waterford with Mythen Construction.”
Local farmers are also keen to avail of Kilsheelan Quarries products. As you would expect, agricultural lime is a particular favourite with the local farming community.
“We supply farmers from Fethard to Kilmacthomas to Callan and Mullinavat,” Paschal added. “We have three trucks out on the road and also use local hauliers – Martin Maguire and Ground Control Haulage of Mooncoin – on a full time basis.”
Building close and trusting relationships with their customers and partners is at the core of their business. Paschal’s contacts book also came in handy at the start.
“Maintenance is a big thing and that’s my forte really,” he remarked.
“It was a challenge to get the company off the ground but once up and running there’s a lot to be learned about this business. We’re very grateful to the support we have received from our customers. Deirdre runs the office and puts a huge emphasis on customer service.”
Determined to keep up to speed with all the latest developments, Paschal, Deirdre & Co constantly review their operation and continue to seek to maximise the quality and value for money of the products they provide.
“There are question marks over what Brexit will bring,” Paschal admitted, “but, looking ahead to the future, we’d be cautiously optimistic that we can continue to grow the business.”
Kilsheelan Limestone Quarries Ltd
Ballydine,
Kilsheelan
Clonmel
Co Tipperary
Tel: 052 6139304
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 5 No 4, June 2017
