For almost three decades, Topaz Transport Ltd has built a reputation as one of the South East’s most dependable haulage operators. Based in Oldtown, Co. Carlow, the family-run company has grown steadily since its establishment in November 1999, expanding from just two trucks into a modern fleet of almost 40 vehicles while remaining true to the customer-focused values on which the business was founded.
Today, Topaz Transport employs 55 people and continues to be very much a family affair. Founder Barry Moloney and his wife Mary remain actively involved in the business they established more than 25 years ago.
Their son Neil serves as Transport Manager, overseeing the day-to-day transport operation, while Neil’s brother Philip manages the company’s maintenance division, ensuring the fleet is kept in first-class condition. Neil’s wife Louise also plays an important role in the office, helping to keep the administrative side of the operation running smoothly.
The combination of family involvement and a dedicated workforce has been central to Topaz Transport’s continued success in what is an increasingly competitive and challenging transport industry.
Container transport is the company’s core business, accounting for the overwhelming majority of its workload, although Topaz Transport has developed a diverse range of services to meet the varying needs of customers throughout Ireland and beyond, as Neil explained to Irish Trucker recently.
“It’s primarily container work. You could say that 95% of it is container work and then we do Moffett Mounty work as well, delivering pallet stone and building stone and, when the season is in, we’d be delivering fertilizer as well,” he stated.
“We do a small bit of curtainsider work in and out of the UK and offloading containers there in Carlow. What else do we do? Anything to do with lorries, really.”
That willingness to adapt and diversify has allowed the company to build long-standing relationships across multiple sectors while maintaining the flexibility to take on new opportunities as they arise.
The journey from a two-truck operation to one employing 55 people has not always been straightforward. Like many Irish transport companies, Topaz Transport experienced both the highs of the Celtic Tiger years and the challenges that followed the economic downturn.
Neil joined the family business around 2010 and has witnessed first-hand the company’s resilience and steady recovery.
“It was around 2010/2011 that I came onboard. My dad started with two lorries in ‘99, went up to three and then up in the boom he was up to 10 lorries,” he recalled.
“Obviously, when the crash came, he went down to five and when I came onboard then there was four or five there at that stage and we picked up different bits of work and bought another one and then another one. I think there’s nearly 40 there now.”
Rather than pursuing rapid expansion, the Moloney family has always preferred sustainable growth, investing in the fleet when demand justifies it and ensuring every new addition contributes positively to the business.
That philosophy has resulted in one of the company’s biggest strengths – a modern, well-maintained fleet capable of delivering reliable service to customers across Ireland and the UK.
Fleet investment remains an ongoing priority, despite the many economic challenges currently facing the haulage industry.
“I’d be hoping to try and buy a few more lorries just for the sheer workload. Whether that will happen, I don’t know,” Neil said.
“That’s the plan anyway. Maybe not this year, but early next year we probably will be buying something.
“We bought two second-hand lorries (2020 Volvos) this year off Dennisons.”
Maintaining the fleet to the highest standards is equally important, with Philip Moloney overseeing the maintenance operation and ensuring vehicles remain safe, reliable and ready for the demands of daily transport work.
Like every operator in the industry, Topaz Transport has had to navigate a number of significant challenges in recent years. Driver shortages remain one of the biggest issues affecting the sector, while rising operating costs continue to put pressure on transport businesses nationwide.
“We had a good year last year,” said Neil. “As everyone knows, the common problem is drivers. It’s a lack of drivers, they’re just not there and it makes the job very hard to do. When you haven’t got the main ingredients, it’s very hard to do it.
“Everyone is on the same boat and then the price of the fuel went up there in March or April and that really put a spanner in the works. It’s busy alright, but there’s still plenty of challenges to go with it.”
Despite these pressures, Topaz Transport continues to thrive thanks to the commitment of its workforce and the family culture that exists throughout the business.
“The crew of lads that we have are good men and we try and look after them as best we can. They’re all good lads and all have their own strengths.”
That appreciation for staff reflects the values established by Barry and Mary Moloney when they first started the business in 1999. Many of those values remain unchanged today, with hard work, honesty and customer service still forming the foundation of everything the company does.
Indeed, customer loyalty is perhaps the clearest measure of Topaz Transport’s success. More than 25 years after opening its doors, the company continues to work with clients who have been there since the very beginning.
“We probably give them a good service,” Neil said. “To be fair to dad, he started it and he has clients that are still with us from Day One.
“It’s probably down to service because we’d be fairly hands on and if there’s a problem, we’d be there ourselves to do it. You have to be seen to put your own shoulder to the wheel and you can’t ask men to do what you won’t do yourself.”
That hands-on approach is something customers value highly. Decisions can be made quickly, problems are dealt with promptly and the Moloney family remains closely involved in the day-to-day operation of the business rather than managing from a distance.
Looking ahead, Topaz Transport intends to continue building on the solid foundations laid over the past quarter of a century. While further fleet expansion is certainly on the agenda, any growth will continue to be measured and carefully planned, ensuring the company never compromises on the high standards of service that have earned it an excellent reputation throughout the transport industry.
Away from the day job, Neil also enjoys attending the annual Tipperary Truck Show, which has become a regular fixture in the company’s calendar.
“We’ve went the last couple of years and, to be honest with you, it’s the only show we go to,” he says. “I like the Tipperary Truck Show because it’s easy going and the guys that run it are sound lads.”
From two trucks in 1999 to a fleet approaching 40 vehicles today, Topaz Transport’s story is one of steady growth, resilience and family commitment.
With Barry and Mary Moloney’s values continuing to guide the business, the next generation helping to drive it forward and a loyal team of 55 employees supporting customers every day, the Co. Carlow operator is well positioned to continue its impressive journey for many years to come.
Topaz Transport Ltd
Oldtown House,
Oldtown,
Nurney,
Co. Carlow
Tel: 059 91 46376
First published in Irish Trucker magazine November/December 2026, Vol 29-6
