Community-driven team at Marty’s Mechanics look to bright future in Ballymote
ONE of the core areas targeted for growing Sligo as a place to live is revitalising rural towns and villages.
Such areas have often been heavily affected by emigration, but the locals have remained resolute and don’t give up on proving that these places can enjoy a new lease of life.
Ballymote native Marty Underwood, a qualified mechanic and lifelong car enthusiast, is one such person who was determined to bring new business to his hometown through his garage, Marty’s Mechanics.
Martys Mechanics Ballymote has a team of expert vehicle technicians on site to cater for all vehicular concerns and problems.
Marty himself followed the emigration route and despite returning to a country still grappling with the consequences of an economic downturn, he decided to take a leap of faith in July 2012 which has been fully vindicated a full decade later.
“I started off working in Peter Mooney’s garage, I got a lot of experience there and after 12 years I decided to move to Australia for a while before coming back to Ballymote and setting up my own business.
“It was a bit of a gamble opening in 2012 with the way things were in the economy, I wouldn’t have been thinking about 10 years down the line but it is great to be at this point now as a well established local business.”
Marty’s Mechanics, which is represented by the man himself and three other employees (among them his brother Gerry), has become part of the furniture in Ballymote but it also slowly but surely gained a county-wide audience. “We get a lot of business locally but over the years that has expanded. We have regular customers from communities from all across the county now and that has all grown largely through word of mouth.
“I am proud to to call this a local business and I try to ensure everything I do is local. I do as much business as I can in Ballymote.
“We also regularly support clubs such as Ballymote Celtic and Ballymote GAA. I am a big believer in the idea that ‘if you give, you will get’, and the people out here and have proven that.” The pandemic also brought an abrupt halt to many services usually carried out by mechanics, but Marty said that their hard-earned reputation gave them a chance to continue working to offer essential work for people who still needed to drive during lockdowns.
“The first lockdown is the first time we ever had to close for any reason.
“There was an initial concern in those eight weeks or so, but we were fortunate that we were still allowed to carry out essential work such as NCTs as there was still people who needed to drive to work during that time. As things began to open up a little more that summer, people came straight back to us and we have been busy ever since.”
Ten years ago, Marty wasn’t thinking about 2022. Now that he is here, the future of Marty’s Mechanics in 2032 feels very tangible as he and his staff look forward to continuing to serve people in Ballymote and beyond.
“We have every reason to be positive. It was fortunate that Covid didn’t have a big impact on us and it said something for the reputation we have built that people still came to us during that time for those essential works.
“In 2012 I wouldn’t have been thinking about where we would be in 10 years’ time, now I am looking forward to what another decade will have in store for us and we will continue to adapt and train as the industry will no doubt continue evolving.
“People have been great to us since day one, they really have. We are very grateful for the support to keep us going 10 years later and we look forward to serving them and hopefully have plenty of new customers over the next decade.”
Marty’s Mechanics is open five days a week. They are open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. To contact the garage, call 086 4459806 or 087 1368875.