Grange Motors in Mullingar celebrated their first anniversary in their new premises towards the end of 2005. Managing Director Paddy Tyrrell spoke to the Maroon and White about the business and his thoughts on the Westmeath footballers. Paddy has 47 years experience in the motor trade, dating back to the days when he served his time as an apprentice mechanic in Mullingar back in the late fifties. The Ballynacargy native has seen many changes during his time in the industry and his work has taken him to Dublin and back over the years. Many may feel that working in the capital is no big achievement, but Paddy revealed Dublin may as well have been situated in another country during those times, such was the lack of travel arrangements. "I was 19 when I went to Dublin. It used to take a lot longer to get up there as it would either be by bus, get a lift or on the bike, which some people used to do. I would only get home maybe once a month or even less, not like these times when people drive up and down every day. "A lot has changed since then, work practices especially have seen huge changes, but you just have to adapt to this modern era or you will be left behind and that will affect your business," said Paddy. During his early years, Paddy played football with Ballynacargy and he recalls that it was a time when a player had to learn quickly to protect himself or suffer the consequences due to the robust nature of the game. "The players weren't that well protected by the referees and you had to look after yourself. The rules are better adhered too in the modern game. My claim to fame would be that I played with Matt Slevin, who was a former Westmeath great. When I went to Dublin I played for St Pat's in Palmerstown for a time, but work eventually took over," he added. Following stints in various parts of Dublin, Paddy took the momentous decision of opening his own business. In 1985, Grange Motors was established on Patrick Street and the Toyota franchise was soon available in Mullingar. Over the years, Paddy and his staff have built a reputation of being able to give a good reliable service to their customers and Grange Motors are certainly at the forefront of their field of expertise in the Midlands town. The decision was made to move to a new premises a few years back and in November 2004 this became a reality when Grange Motors were moved to Lough Sheever Business Park on the Castlepollard Road and Paddy revealed that this was certainly the right course to take. "Our sales were excellent in 2004 and 2000 was the only other year that exceeded that. I firmly believe that is due to the new premises, which is designed to produce a friendly atmosphere and this has made a huge difference." Paddy believes that Toyota's reliance makes them such a popular car. The Japanese made car has been an excellent seller in the country for many years now and with new ranges launched in January, the company expect another excellent year. "The new Yaris has been launched, while there is also a new Hilux. For versatility the Aygo is a magnificent little car and can be bought for Eur12,000 brand new. We have a wide range of cars in stock at all times, usually in the region of 150 throughout the year," he revealed. Grange Motors open their doors to their customers from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on a Saturday while the company's motto is customer satisfaction guaranteed. Paddy admitted that satisfying the customers' needs was just as important as selling a car in the first place. This is why Grange Motors have a Customer Relations Executive. "My son Edward holds that position and his job is to ensure that all customers are happy with the car they buy. And this is not just until the leave the premises, but he makes follow up calls and deals with service issues as well." The fact that many of Grange Motors' customers have been with them for many years is proof that customer satisfaction is guaranteed by Paddy Tyrrell and his staff on a daily basis. Furthermore the 22 staff on hand have many years experience behind them and are well qualified in their positions. "A lot of the staff have been with me for many years. Sales Director Pat Gavin and Car Valet Sean Keane have 20 years service done, while Sales Director Paul Coleman has been with the company for 17 years. "Others like Catherine Kenny and Gerry O'Neill have worked with Grange Motors for the past 14 years, so they are obviously happy enough," joked Paddy. Westmeath footballers begin the new year with a new management team, while the squad has seen significant changes also. Last year, was a year to forget for all Westmeath Gaels as they were beaten in the first round of the Leinster championship, relegated from the NFL Division One and lost their manager. The dizzy heights of 2004 are a distant memory following last season's exploits, but hopes are high that with a new manager in place and some fresh faces added to the panel, a return to the top is a real possibility. "I think with the new players coming in and Tomas O'Flatharta taking over as manager, there will be great enthusiasm in the squad and hopefully they can do well and even win the Leinster title again," he said "It's always hard for a team to keep up the momentum after they have won something and I think that's what happened Westmeath, but they now have an extra year's experience and should do well". Gaelic football is not the only sport that Paddy takes a keen interest in, as horse show jumping has been a part of the family for the past number of years. Daughter Avril has represented Westmeath in the sport and Paddy now spends his spare time breeding Connemara horses. So 2006 is set to be a make or break year for Westmeath football as their supporters hope that Tomas O'Flatharta can emulate the achievements of two years ago and bring the Delaney Cup back to the Lake County. Tweet

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