Fifty years ago brothers Gerry, Philip and Thomas Brady – from Arva, Co Cavan – embarked on a journey that would ultimately lead to the establishment of the successful business that is now Bradys of Castleknock, Dublin. Starting life as a small family-run, country filling station on the Old Navan Road in Castleknock, the journey was not without challenges but through dedication and hard work the family was able to overcome them and build the thriving business that exists today.
Bradys remains 100 per cent family owned and operated and employs more than 40 staff. It has undergone many changes and overcome many challenges.
“Beginning life as a filling station, we went on to have a number of franchise partners over the years – from VW, VW Commercials, Audi and Mazda to our long-standing partnership with Mercedes-Benz, SEAT and most recently CUPRA,” explains Gerry Brady, senior sales specialist and nephew of company founder Gerry Brady.
“We also run a premium used-car franchise – Bradys Prestige Cars – which sells all brands from VW to Volvo, Audi to BMW, Toyota to Landrover and much more. We aim to have a car to suit all our customers and their family’s needs.”
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Bradys also has highly experienced after-sales, parts, finance and leasing departments in the same location, providing a one-stop shop to fulfil their customers’ requirements.
A trusted name for more than 50 years
“Throughout the last 50 years we have expanded our footprint into a two-acre site which is now home to our state-of-the-art showrooms and modern workshop,” says Enda Conefrey, dealer principal and also a nephew of founder Gerry Brady. “The site has evolved over the years, with work recently begun on our new CUPRA garage to create a new home for CUPRA, the newest brand in our portfolio, as well as for SEAT. We are unique as a single-site, independent, family owned and operated business in an industry now predominately made up of large automotive groups.
“We offer a unique family-business feel and a personal one-to-one experience which can be more difficult to deliver in larger group set-ups. This plays directly into the ethos of a luxury brand like Mercedes-Benz and indeed CUPRA where quite often the experience is more important than the price point.”
In the world we now live in, we believe our customers are our extended family and our personal touch, a unique luxury experience
— Enda Conefrey, Bradys
Alison Brady, operations director and daughter of the company’s founder, highlights the client-focused ethos underpinning the business. “We are a well-capitalised business with a very linear structure capable of making fast business decisions when required,” she says.
“This gives us a distinct edge in making the most of opportunities and indeed taking corrective action where necessary in our everyday operations. We also boast one of the most experienced teams of any franchise dealership in Ireland and have an extremely low staff turnover.”
Over the years, Bradys has become a cornerstone of the community in north and west Dublin and throughout the country, providing quality products and services, while also creating jobs and supporting local community initiatives, clubs and causes.
“Our customers come from near and far and are as generational now as our team are,” says Conefrey. “Day-to-day, we meet old and new customers who have stories going back 50 years describing memories of different cars, the colours, the finish, the experiences, the history and the team. In the world we now live in, we believe our customers are our extended family and our personal touch, a unique luxury experience.
“We are extremely grateful to our legions of loyal customers who have supported us for five decades and to whom we owe our success. We look forward with excitement to the future as we grow our business while never losing touch with our customers and their needs and desires.
“We will embrace this future and all the change that it will bring in the move to electrification along with great technological advancements in the automotive world.”
Bradys are increasingly aware of their part to play in reducing Ireland’s carbon footprint. “We have recently placed heavy investment in PV solar power generation on our buildings as well as in advancements in recycling of tyres, batteries, fluids, plastics, metals and packaging materials,” says Conefrey. “We are proud members of the ‘Elves’ – end-of-life vehicle recycling scheme – among other national recycling initiatives. In addition, our sales of electric vehicles to customers now makes up 30 per cent of our business.
“Above all, we are car people – we understand our customers and our business and we intend to play upon those strengths as we strive forward into our sixth decade in business in Castleknock. Our customers are loyal to us and trust us and we will continue to keep them and our valued staff at the centre of everything we do.”