AS the McCarthy siblings celebrate five years of operating their vibrant and colourful Ballinadee Bus, they are reflecting on what the project has brought to their lives, following the death of their dad Paddy in May 2020.

The initial idea for this quirky accommodation of using a double decker bus developed during lockdown and it helped distract them from their grief after Paddy died by suicide age 59.

Thomas, Anna, Rachel and brother-in-law Aidan have developed it into a viable business which incorporates a rescue farm, campervan park, campsite, coffee dock (The Bus Stop) and courtyard, hot tub, hammocks and even a second Ballinadee Bus Eile up until recently.Their inspiring work was documented in videos posted on TikTok attracting millions of views, while celebrity architect Dermot Bannon featured their quirky project in his RTÉ programme ‘Dermot Bannon’s Super Small Spaces’.

Speaking to The Southern Star, Thomas said that it’s been a rollercoaster of a ride over the past five years since they first came up with the concept.

‘We knew there was potential for something in the area because there wasn’t anything else like it, but I don’t think we could have imagined it growing as fast and colourful as it is in such a short time,’ he said.

‘We opened our doors on June 5th 2021 and it’s really been a family effort between myself, Rachel, Anna and her husband Aidan. We added the ‘Bus Eile’ the following year (2022) and by 2023 we had added the coffee truck, open top blue bus and the rescue farm.’Realising there aren’t many campervan facilities in the area, they have also opened a campervan park on their farm.

Remarkably all four hold down full-time jobs while working at Ballinadee Bus - but they assure that they enjoy the work and welcoming people to their farm.

‘We opened for this season at the start of May and bookings are steadily coming in for the main double decker bus,’ said Thomas.

In addition to running their business, the siblings have over the past five year raised more than €50,000 for mental health charities including Pieta House and nearby Kinsale Youth Support Services (KYSS). ‘This is very close to our hearts and when dad died we set up a GoFundMe page which raised €33,000 for mental health charities,’ explained Thomas. ‘We have also been holding a raffle every year to mark his anniversary and over the past six years and this year we have reached €50,750. Some small local charities also benefit from that.’

The McCarthys also painted a mural in the local village three years ago to highlight the importance of mental health services and supports. The idea behind it was to brighten up the village, but bringing an important message at the same time. They even picked up an award for their efforts.

The site was also the venue for a recent arts festival, ‘Anam Cara’ where 200 people gathered to sample the delights of Ballinadee Bus while enjoying entertainment from bands and DJs.

‘We are happy with what we have at the moment but we’re always adding small things, and we added a proper campsite and chill out area for this year so we have plenty accommodation offerings,’ said Thomas.

To celebrate their five years in business, the McCarthys are hosting a family weekend at the farm on Saturday June 6th and Sunday June 7th with music, face painting, DJs and much more each day from 10am until 5pm.

Thomas concluded: ‘This is a free event and it’s our way of thanking customers, locals, suppliers, staff, family and friends for all their support over the past five years. We also want to thank the local community of Ballinadee who have all been of great support too.’

See www.ballinadeebus.com for more details.