The lads from Hanlon Kitchen’s acquitted themselves very well on TV too!
After Joe and Mary’s romantic tale stole the nation’s hearts last night – we can’t wait for this!
Room to Improve is one of Ireland’s most watched TV programmes and there will be strong Laois connections on an upcoming episode as Dermot Bannon gives a home in Rathfarnham in Dublin a significant makeover.
The show will appear on RTE this Sunday, September 22, and will see the well-known local business Hanlon Kitchens work extensively on the Dublin home that is owned by Laois native Adrian Saunders, his wife Yvonne and daughter Lauren.
The local connections are very strong as Adrian is originally from Aghaboe where Hanlon Kitchens, owned by Danny Hanlon, is based.
Danny has previously installed kitchens for Adrian’s family members and was recommended for the work and invited to put in a tender for the job.
Hanlon Kitchens were duly successful with Dermot Bannon paying three visits to their workshop and showroom in Aghaboe.
In all, they ended up installing the full kitchen, utility room, wardrobes in the bedrooms and units in the living room.
While details of how it looks won’t be revealed until the programme airs on TV, Danny says “there was a lot of discussion over the style of kitchen – with Dermot changing his mind after seeing a kitchen he really liked on his first visit to the showroom with another of his architects”.
“The kitchen is completely different from what you’d usually see and the colour of it will be a huge talking point.”
In total Danny had seven staff members working on the job and was completed earlier this week ahead of the reveal party that is filmed showing off the renovations.
Danny and his wife Eileen attended the party along with Kate Toomey who works in the showroom in Aghaboe.
Among Danny’s other staff members are his brother Shane and Laois hurlers Willie Dunphy and Stephen Maher.
The Hanlon family have huge Clough-Ballacolla GAA connections with Danny a three-time hurling championship winner with the club alongside Shane. His father, Danny senior, is a former club chairman and his mother Margaret is also involved in the club.
Earlier this year he was honoured as the overall winner of the Laois Local Enterprise awards and came in for special praise from the CEO of Laois County Council John Mulholland.
“You have survived the turmoil of the last 10 years and you have to be congratulated for sticking with it and coming through the tough times.
“You’re an example of someone keeping rural enterprise alive.”
