HM Travel – the choice of champions 

13/01/2025

When Clare lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup following their epic All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final victory over Cork this summer, they travelled to and from Croke Park in comfort and style with HM Travel. 

Based in Quin just outside Ennis, HM Travel (HM Travel & Logistics Ltd) is a leading private luxury coach operator in the Mid-West region which is the transport partner for Clare GAA and Clare Camogie as well as for numerous other sports teams and groups. It also provides a school transport service on behalf of Bus Éireann on top of private school runs, transport to concerts, festivals and sporting events, airport transfers and occasional corporate tours. 

Operating a luxury fleet of executive coaches, HM Travel was established in 2013 by James Maloney and Tom Haugh who are joined by a top-class team of drivers and operational staff. The company continues to go from strength to strength by offering a professional, reliable, safe and value-for-money service. Its success can also be attributed to the care and attention to detail you only get from a family-run business. 

“We’re very proud to be associated with the Clare hurlers,” James enthuses. 

“They had a fantastic year which culminated in a memorable All-Ireland win. It will go down as one of the greatest All-Ireland finals of all-time and we were delighted to be able to bring Brian Lohan’s men and the Liam MacCarthy Cup back to Clare after an 11-year lapse. First stop on the homecoming was Shannon, followed by Ennis and the rest of the county. 

“We’ve been catering for the transport needs of Clare GAA and Camogie teams for a number of years. We’ve been working with Clare Camogie for nine or 10 years and Clare GAA for the past three years, from development squads up. We also look after the travel requirements of overseas rugby teams who fly into Ireland for games against Connacht and Munster, and the national sides who play Ireland in the Six Nations U20 Championship in Cork each spring. 

“Furthermore, we have a very good relationship with local soccer, rugby and GAA teams, including Old Crescent and St Senan’s rugby clubs. We appreciate all the support we get from them and from all of our clients.” 

According to James, school transport is HM Travel’s ‘bread and butter’ for 10 months of the year. Between daily school runs for Bus Éireann and other school-related work, it accounts for a large part of its business. 

“We do twice daily runs for Bus Éireann on a number of routes in Limerick and Clare. We also do a huge amount of private school runs, having 35 schools on our books,” he says. 

“Another excellent client of ours is Aer Lingus who we do a lot of private hire work for. Shannon Airport never closes because it’s at sea level which means many flights are diverted into it over the course of the year. When this happens, we get a call from Aer Lingus at very short notice to collect passengers and bring them to Dublin, Cork, Knock or wherever their flight was supposed to land.” 

HM Travel operates a modern and mixed fleet of 14 vehicles that range from Scania / DAF Van Hool 53-seaters to Mercedes-Benz Tourismo 41-seaters to Mercedes Plaxton and Euro 34-seaters. To say that the fleet is luxurious would be an understatement. The larger coaches boast toilet, WiFi, TV / video, air conditioning facilities along with reclining seats. These coaches are spacious and comfortable with large luggage capacity. Safety features include seat belts and ABS braking systems. All vehicles are regularly maintained and serviced to ensure there is no such thing as downtime. From the smallest contract bus to the largest executive coach, the fleet is the best in the business. 

Whether travelling on a long or short journey, passengers will arrive at their destination feeling relaxed and stress-free. 

Behind the wheel of every HM Travel coach is an experienced and courteous driver who is always prepared to go the extra mile. 

“We have great people working for us who have made us what we are today. Our drivers are skilled, reliable and friendly. They go out of their way to make sure passengers are comfortable and relaxed, and get to their destination on time,” adds James, who had worked alongside James in another bus hire company before they decided to go out on their own. 

“We’re here to provide the solutions to all your travel needs. We have the personnel and equipment to make that happen. Neither Tom nor I are customer-facing people. Instead, we work away quietly behind-the-scenes dealing with paperwork and ensuring everything is running smoothly.” 

HM Travel’s in-house mechanic ensures the fleet is running to the highest safety standards, while the administration staff is always available to discuss your transport requirements. James and Tom would like to take this opportunity to thank their passengers and suppliers for their continued support as well as their 15-strong team for their hard work, dedication and skill. 

HM Travel & Logistics Ltd 

Quin, 

Ennis, 

Co. Clare. 

Telephone: 087 290 7803 (James) / 087 251 7280 (Tom) 

Email: [email protected] 

Web: www.hmtravel.ie 

First published in Irish Trucker magazine November/December 2024, Vol 27-6