Building a business and aiming to help others

by David Flynn

An Athlone native, who has run her own successful business in town for almost 16 years, wants to see others succeed in whatever their goals are in life.

Tanya Cannon of A1 Cleaning puts her money where her mouth is, and has sponsored football clubs including Athlone Town, Willow Park and also St Peter’s, where she has recently been invited on to its committee.

“I love sports particularly football and I’m a Man Utd fan,” she said.

When asked about the recent Cristiano Ronaldo story, she said he was always her favourite player, and she hopes something good comes out of what happened.

“There’s a few other players who were also great like Cristiano, but let’s hope a negative grows into a positive,” said Tanya.

Tanya grew up in Battery Heights and she spent her teenage years going to matches at Gentex pitch.

“I was also into karate and was trained for several years by Paddy Beaumont at St. Mary’s Hall,” said Tanya. “Unfortunately, I had to give up karate when I had an accident which shattered my kneecap. In my earlier years, I was involved with the girl guides, also in St Mary’s Hall, which was overseen by Mrs Guidon.”

Tanya remembers the great support network among the adults in Battery Heights, when she was growing up, including the late Patsy Beaumont, who brought groups of children to the Aran Islands.

“When we were children we used to also go up the River Shannon with Patsy and the late Garda Mick Fox, and they were wonderful times,” said Tanya.

She went to school in Athlone Technical School and fondly remembers the principal, Val O’Connor, who praised Tanya as somebody who would always work with her hands.

“The late Sister Bernard was another great person who influenced me when I was young,” said Tanya. “I used to clean her office every morning, and do errands for her when I was in national school. We were great friends and I miss her greatly. Our chats were very special to me and she was so wonderful and any of us that knew her were very lucky. She is a big loss to the town.”

Tanya worked in many places after leaving school including the former supermarket; DH Burke’s on Magazine Road, Athlone and also with Noonan’s cleaning company.

In the last year of the boom, just before the recession, Tanya took the brave step to go out on her own, and start her own contract cleaning business – A1. It all began for her on March 27, 2007.

Tanya admits that she hadn’t studied business in school or at any other time, but had a strong work ethic, which she brought to A1.

She went to work with women and men that she employed and was completely hands-on in the job.

“I was never afraid to work at anything, and always thought positive about things, and nothing fazes me,” said Tanya.

She has overseen A1 through the recession years and to the other side and to the challenges that are in existence today.

“Things are going good, I employ 50 plus people and I intend to keep working and growing,” she said. “I’ve been asked over the years to sponsor things and I was very happy to support Athlone Town, Willow Park and St. Peter’s football clubs. I was also happy to support the placing of defibrillators in strategic places.”

“I love our Athlone sports people, and I’m a friend of the boxer, Joe Ward, and I grew up with his family when they lived on the Connaught side and I look forward to being ringside someday where Joe is fighting,” she said. “The same goes for Athlone fighter, Cheyanne O’Neill. I love her and she’s a great inspiration for other young people. These are great people who have gone to the top of their game, like Katie Taylor and Kelly Harrington.”

Tanya’s family have an interesting football history going back almost 100 years. Her great grandfather, Harry Cannon joined Bohemians in 1923, and in 1926 became an international goalkeeper for Ireland. In 1927/28 he was captain of Bohemians ‘All-Conquering’ team, which won the FAI cup, the Leinster Senior Cup, League Championship and Shield. At the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, Harry was Ireland’s team manager. Harry was also involved in the development of Basketball in the early years of the Irish Army. He played cricked for the Civil Service and also played hockey and was a boxer.

Tanya’s maternal grandfather Dennis O’Callaghan was a native of Donegal, and he worked painting ships in Harland and Wolff shipyard, Belfast, and joined the Irish Army in 1922 and was a boxer there. He played hurling for Crumlin GAA in 1931 and he made hurley sticks.

“I’m very proud of that background in sport and it probably explains my own interest,” she said.

She has been happy to see the success of local women this year in soccer.

“I’d like to see more women involved in sports and this year it has been women all the way!” said Tanya. “The Athlone Town women have been fantastic. I know many of them and am friendly with them.”

Tanya is also a proud supporter of Westmeath GAA and Buccaneers Rugby.

“I follow all the boys like Robbie Henshaw and Jack Carty and it’s important for us in the midlands to support our footballers and athletes playing,” said Tanya.

She has taken part in some running in recent years for charity, such as the Join Our Boys Trust in Roscommon.

“I’m very busy these days but I have to get back into running because I want to,” said Tanya. “I’m an early bird and that’s when I did most of my own training.”

Tanya has an amazing ambition that she really wants to fulfil in the future. She would like to be in a position like in the Secret Millionaire to help those who are poor and vulnerable.

“I feel sorry for so many people who are homeless and I would love to be able to help people to focus on their bills and manage them and find a way out of problems,” said Tanya.

“I’d love to be able to show people how cheap or how dear it is to live. It’s important to work with budgets. I saved €5 or €10 whenever I could and I bought the jeep I wanted to buy. I’d like to pass on all I’ve learned to people.”

Tanya is a very grounded person and loves to live in the here and now. She hates negativity and fights always to accentuate the positive in whatever she works at in life.

Tanya was recently shortlisted for Business Person of the Year at the Athlone Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

“It was a huge honour to be mentioned in the same breath as the other people that I was nominated with,” said Tanya.

But Tanya is not happy to rest on her laurels and is keen to continue to grow and develop and to help others do the same.

“I hope to continue helping people achieve their goals, like I have and like I’m continuing to.”