Monaghan's O'Hanrahan Travel started life as an ambitious travel agency-come-auctioneers-come-newsagents for the town, and has matured into a vibrant business catering for leisure and corporate travellers from across the country – with a few national awards to its name to boot.
In fact, just last month, it was named Agency of the Year at the Travel Centres consortium’s annual awards.
It all started on 15 December 1925 when an ambitious young Cork man named Timothy O'Hanrahan opened the doors at 59 Dublin Street in Monaghan.
The O'Hanrahan family lived above the shop, their home and work intertwined as it is for many agents today. Timothy's dedication laid the foundations for a business defined by trust, service and a deep connection to its community.
Passage to America
Travel in 1925 centred mostly around ocean voyages when O'Hanrahan Travel would dutifully arrange transatlantic passages from Queenstown (Cobh) – originating in Southampton – to New York for people emigrating to North America.
Mark tells TTG these were “journeys filled with hope and uncertainty”. The business also organised ferry travel to Holyhead, Liverpool and Stranraer – voyages essential for work, migration or family visits.
Soon enough, the business earned a coveted appointment as a British Rail agent, selling rail travel throughout the UK at a time when the railway network was the backbone of British transportation.
Mark says the agency used to regularly welcome American visitors to the shop. “They’d say 'oh, I booked with your dad back in 1947 to go to America',” he says, with a smile.
Shortly after World War II, in 1946, O'Hanrahan Travel achieved a ground-breaking milestone: it was appointed one of Ireland's first lata-licensed agents, allowing it to sell flights worldwide.
Air travel was still in its infancy, but Monaghan residents now had access to the expanding world of aviation, long before mass tourism took off.
In the late 1950s, Timothy's son Seamus took over the thriving business, and his vision extended far beyond the counter. Come the early 1970s, he became one of the founding members of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA).
And it was through this involvement that Seamus forged strategic alliances with airlines and tour operators, ensuring customers in Monaghan benefited from greater choice, value and industry-leading expertise.
Package travel takes off
The late 1960s saw the arrival of package holidays, which transformed how Irish people travelled. Suddenly, Spain (think Costa del Sol) and other European hotspots like the Algarve became accessible to families seeking sun, fun and adventure. Mark said O'Hanrahan Travel embraced the new era “with energy and enthusiasm”.
The shop didn't just sell holidays at this point either; it sold suitcases, knitting machines and even Irish Sweepstakes tickets – a prominent, privately-run lottery. It was a bustling hub of activity and an integral part of Monaghan's commercial life.
By the 1970s and 80s, Seamus’s sons Peter and Seamus Jr had taken control of the business. They navigated charter flights, new tour operators and a rapidly evolving industry. Eventually, Seamus Jr emigrated to the US, leaving Peter as the family's representative in the business.
Dynamic duo
In 1993, Peter forged a dynamic partnership with a very young Mark – today’s managing director – who is himself a local lad. Mark was no stranger to O'Hanrahan Travel, having started as an office junior at just 11-years-old, and went on to learn the trade from the ground up.
His early passion for travel led him to roles with Eugene Magee Travel in Bray and Centre Travel in Dundalk where he honed his skills before returning to his roots in Monaghan.
Mark's drive, expertise, and forward-thinking approach quickly became central to the business. In 1996, he took full ownership, ushering in a new chapter of growth and modernisation.
As demand increased from a more adventurous and globally-minded clientele, Mark expanded the business and recruited experienced staff to serve travellers nationwide.
Monaghan borders Northern Ireland, so the agency operates in both pounds sterling and in euros. Belfast is O’Hanrahan Travel’s nearest airport, so it sells the likes of Jet2holidays from there, but it also sells out of Dublin, meaning it has to be “very flexible with payments”.
In 2010, O'Hanrahan Travel moved to a new, more spacious premises in Monaghan's Church Square, reflecting its evolution into a contemporary, full-service travel agency.
The business has since earned numerous local and national awards, becoming one of Ireland's leading agencies and an active member of both the ITAA, whose Travel Agent of the Year award it has won twice, and Travel Centres.
Secrets to success
I ask Mark what the secret is to O’Hanrahan Travel’s longevity. And in a fitting tribute to its legacy, he reveals 2024 and 2025 have been the firm's busiest years yet.
“This is testament to the trust placed in the agency by generations of customers – locally, regionally and now nationally – and to the expertise and warmth of the staff who have served the business so well,” says Mark.
O’Hanrahan Travel, perhaps sadly, is now the only agency in the county of Monaghan.“Some of the staff have been here for more than 25 years, so it's all down to their hard work and dedication,” continues Mark.
“Reaching 100 years in business is an extraordinary achievement, especially for a travel agency that has weathered some of the greatest challenges in modern history.
“Through each test, the business held firm thanks to a loyal customer base – the agency enjoys an awful lot of repeat business – the dedicated team and a passion for helping people explore the world.”
I ask Mark if he hopes the agency will still be here in another 100 years. “Well, I hopefully won't be around,” he chuckles. “But who knows, in this trade.
“The changes I've seen since I started in the 90s to now are unbelievable, and then when you go back to when the company started, it's just a totally different business. And I imagine in another 20 years it'll be a totally different business again.”
The next 100 years
Mark says the agency does have plans to expand though, with a focus on its groups and bespoke business. O’Hanrahan Travel sends regular ski and golfing groups away, often accompanied by O'Hanrahan staff.
“Two of the staff hosted 87 people on a Princess cruise last year – we're trying to expand into that side of things because we feel we need to be selling more bespoke trips than the off-the-shelf ones.”
O’Hanrahan Travel also works with Irish travel deals site and subscription service Rory’s Travel Club, putting together bespoke golf trips.
I ask Mark whether O’Hanrahan Travel might be Ireland’s oldest travel agency, and he laughs. “We always say we're the oldest in terms of having the Iata back in 1946, but I think Barter’s Travel [in Cork] trumped us in terms of when it opened.”
Mark insists there’s not too much stiff competition between Irish agencies though. “The community is much smaller than in the UK obviously, so everybody knows everybody,” he says. “We're all in competition, but we do look out for each other.”
To celebrate the agency’s special birthday, O’Hanrahan Travel will run a “10 days of Christmas” competition whereby anyone who’s booked this year will be entered into a draw to win one of 10 hampers or, on the anniversary itself (15 December), a Tui voucher worth €1,000. Other competitions have been held earlier in the year, including one with an MSC Cruises holiday as the prize.
From steamships and handwritten rail tickets to digital itineraries and worldwide adventures, O’Hanrahan Travel has been a constant for its local community – and wider clientele – deftly guiding them through a century of change.
