The Connolly Motor Group in sligo is the latest dealer to join the 24-strong SEAT dealer network, writes Trish Whelan.
This new addition to the SEAT dealer network comes after the brand recently reported its highest sales figures in 19 years. Year-to-date SEAT has sold more than 4,000 units, up 10.5 per cent compared to the market which is down 7 per cent. This gives the brand a record high market share of 3.5 per cent.
The dealership will be the first SEAT dealership to open in sligo and will host the full SEAT range including the Ateca, Arona Crossover and the new 7-seater Tarraco. The dealership will also host the brand’s well-established models, Ibiza and Leon as part of its fleet. Ten new full-time jobs will be created as a result of the opening, bringing the total number of employees of the Connolly Motor Group to 280.
Since opening its first dealership in Ballina in 1939, Connolly Motor Group now has dealerships in Mayo, Galway and Sligo. The family-owned group offer sales and aftersales in both passenger and commercial vehicles and specialise in used vehicle sales.
The new dealership will be led by Dealer Principal Neil Connolly and his team, Brand Manager Padraic Gallagher; Sales Executives Morgan O’Reilly and Niall Taylor; After Sales Manager Shane Rochford and Service Advisor Martina Blee.
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| Niall Phillips and Neil Connolly |
Niall Phillips, Brand Director of SEAT Ireland said: “We are delighted to welcome Connolly Motor Group to our nationwide network of dealerships. The team at Connolly’s has a brilliant reputation for excellent customer service and their level of experience and expertise will hugely benefit SEAT. We now have the largest and newest product range in our history.”
Neil Connolly, Connolly Motor Group Direction said: “We are delighted to be investing in the SEAT brand and bringing this great brand to people in the Sligo region. Being part of a group provides us with the additional benefit and financial stability that comes with having multiple dealerships.
“We are proud to be a family-owned group and the foundations of our success is the people who work with us, the manufacturers we represent and of course, our valued customers. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. My brother Kevin and I are extremely proud to be bringing more jobs to sligo and delighted that we can breathe new life into a building that has been lying vacant in Collooney.”
