O'Gorman Coachbuilders was an Irish coach building company that traded under various names from the 1920s to the 1940s. History John Francis O'Gorman (4 February 1875 – 27 December 1943) and his brother James (6 February 1877 – 23 October 1963) came to Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland in 1899, shortly before the death of their father. They worked as apprentices at Cleary's Coachbuilder in Anglesea Street, Clonmel. John F.O'Gorman completed his learning in London and was appointed by the Department of Agricultural and Technical Instruction, to teach the Theory of Road Carriage Building. He first traded as O'Gorman Bros, Address: 12 Wellington Street, Clonmel. and advertised 'Motor Bodies of every description built on the premises'. They were special Agents for Austin, Humber and Ford cars. Shortly after the First World War, John F. O'Gorman went to Germany and captured the first main dealership in Ireland for Mercedes-Benz cars. The 'O'Gorman' Coachbuilding business grew around 1920, when John F. O'Gorman bought and built a factory located at Prior Park, Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. He also bought the stately 'Prior Park' house, which doubled as a store area, for the company. Together with his brother Jim, they made various horse-drawn two and four wheel vehicles. They also manufactured traps, gigs, landaus, jaunting carts, carriages, floats and dray carts. The main business however, was building bus, coach, van and lorry bodies. Subsidiaries South of Ireland School of Motoring In the late 1920s this enterprise, situated at the factory premises, held a ten-week course at the school and included (a) Mechanism and Ignition and (b) Driving and Tyrefitting. The ten weeks tuition cost IR£15 with a shorter session of three weeks at IR£10. O'Gorman's, Clonmel The administrative offices of O'Gormans were situated over the shop front show room, garage at 36 & 37 Parnell Street (next to Hearns Hotel, where Charles Bianconi established his horse-drawn coach travel empire, 90 years earlier). Operations 1920s 1923 - Strike breaking The O'Gorman brothers were discussed in Dáil Éireann Volume 3–18 May 1923 with regard to a strike at their Clonmel factory and bringing in workers (non-union strikebreakers) from London. The firm was engaged on several Government contracts, including building two limousines for a high official. It was proposed the company should not be allowed to carry out Government work, under conditions which are a distinct breach of the Fair Wages Clause. 1927 - Supplying army lorries O'Gorman