Bridget Walsh Kellihers Toyota Tralee

Bridget Walsh began her career as an accounts clerk with the Kelliher Family in 1985 in the original Kellihers Garage on Denny Street in the heart of Tralee Town.

Bridget is an integral part of Kellihers Garage with over 30 years and worked her way up to the position of financial controller in the main Toyota dealership for the county at their extensive car sales and service department centre at Rathass, Tralee.

Having started out with ledgers and a sharp pencil in Denny Street, Bridget has seen huge changes through her career with technology being forefront in today's business world. With a wide and varied role, Bridget enjoys the challenges and changes the motoring world presents and with her vast experience - she takes it all in her stride.

In a predominantly male orientated market place, Bridget is delighted to see women becoming more involved in the motoring world and no more so than in Kellihers Garage in their busy sales, service and crash repair departments where they have currently two female apprentices on their books for 2023. Bridget feels this is a progressive move forward, as gender often determined your career choice in the past.

Our customer base is third generational, we have been with them throughout their buying journey, and I am serving the same loyal customers and their families for 30 years. We like to look after our loyal customers and during lockdown we sent a Peace Lily and a bar of chocolate to many of them to show we missed them, and their custom and we still get thanked for it nearly 3 years later.

We strive to continue to offer a more diverse selection of services and offerings to our customers over the years, which currently include a café, a fashion boutique, gifting ideas and homeware, along with the essential gardening chemicals and tools.

The Garden Centre is celebrating 40 years in Business this September, and I am still as passionate as ever about the Listowel Garden Centre Business and look forward to where we can grow to.