The Go-Ahead Group has announced the appointment of Dervla McKay as Managing Director of Go-Ahead Ireland, its Dublin-based bus company. She is set to step into her new role in the fourth quarter of 2023 and succeeds Andrew Edwards, who, after a three-year stint at Go-Ahead Ireland, is transitioning to Go-Ahead London to take up the position of Operations Director.
Hailing from Donegal, Dervla brings with her expertise from an extensive career in the Irish and UK coach and bus sectors. Prior to her new role, she was at the helm as Managing Director of Aircoach, an operator of express coach services throughout Ireland. She has also served in numerous senior roles within FirstGroup, a position she joined as a graduate trainee in 2005.
Reflecting on the appointment, Christian Schreyer, Group Chief Executive of The Go-Ahead Group, says: “We’re delighted to appoint Dervla McKay to this key role overseeing our successful Irish bus company. She has an excellent track record and knows the bus industry inside out.
“Dervla joins the business at an exciting point. Go-Ahead Ireland is expanding in Dublin and has gone from strength to strength under Andrew Edwards’ leadership. I’d like to thank Andrew for steering our Irish business effectively, and we all wish him well in his new role in London.”
Based in Ballymount, Go-Ahead Ireland operates a fleet of more than 225 buses on 42 routes, and employs 760 colleagues. The company was commissioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA) to commence services in Dublin in 2018, and now operates 25 routes in the outer Dublin metropolitan area and five Dublin commuter routes.
Construction is currently underway at the Ballymount depot with the intention of expanding its capacity by 50% to cater to newly added routes under the NTA’s BusConnects network redesign.