JJ Kavanagh & Sons

JJ Kavanagh & Sons, bus and coach operator in Ireland

JJ Kavanagh & Sons is an Irish road passenger transport company founded in 1919 by James and Mollie Kavanagh. It began as a family business with a single bus covering local routes in the rural town of Urlingford, County Kilkenny, and over time has become one of the country's leading coach operators. The company presents itself as 100% Irish-owned and notes that in the previous year its customers made over one million journeys on its buses.

Main routes and destination network

Its activity is built around three main long-distance routes, identified by the numbers 717, 735 and 736:

• Route 717: Clonmel – Kilkenny – Dublin.
• Route 735: Limerick – Nenagh – Dublin.
• Route 736: Waterford – Carlow – Dublin.

In addition to these trunk routes, the company operates local routes, local links and college routes. Among the destinations it promotes are Dublin, Dublin Airport, Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny and Carlow.

Event and student services

JJ Kavanagh & Sons offers direct coaches to events and venues, with announced services for the 3Arena in Dublin, the University of Galway, Thomond Park in Limerick, Marlay Park and Malahide Castle in Dublin, and the Aviva Stadium. The website listed trips for concerts and specific dates, such as those for Westlife, Niall Horan, Noah Kahan, The World of Hans Zimmer and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at the 3Arena, as well as the University of Galway Open Day 2026.

For university students there is a specific area, the Student Hub, with college route timetables, real-time information, YAC card applications and ticket change management. The institutions mentioned include Maynooth University, SETU Carlow, SETU Waterford, Yeats College Waterford, Waterford College of Further Education and Carlow College St Patrick's.

Fleet, equipment and sustainability

The company highlights that the average age of its vehicles is under four years and that it renews and expands its fleet annually. The coaches include on-board wifi, USB points at each seat, toilets and seats described as especially comfortable, along with a generous baggage allowance. On environmental matters, JJ Kavanagh & Sons states that all its coaches and buses have EURO VI engines, which significantly reduce emissions, and declares its commitment to moving towards a more sustainable fleet through the use of cleaner technologies and resource efficiency.

Trip management and customer service

The company allows booking tickets, checking timetables, accessing real-time information, changing tickets and requesting the free travel reservation. It has its own mobile app and a 24/7 customer service called Ask JJ. It also offers forms for lost property management and Taxsaver card registration, as well as practical guides on using the Taxsaver code and adding tickets to Apple and Google digital wallets.

Recognition and institutional commissions

Among the announcements on its website are its designation as official coach transport provider for Ireland's EU Presidency in 2026 and as official transport partner of the World GAA Games in Waterford 2026. The company also reports the addition of a new stop at the 3Arena on route 717 and improvements to the frequency of route 736 between Waterford and Dublin.

History and complementary activity

With more than a century in operation, JJ Kavanagh & Sons presents itself as one of Ireland's most prominent coach operators. In addition to scheduled and private hire transport, the company maintains business lines in coach sales and maintenance and coach hire. Its headquarters are in Urlingford, County Kilkenny, and the company operates under the name JJ Kavanagh & Sons, trading as JJ Kavanagh.