Ryans Cleaning Celebrates 40 Years and a New Era
This month, Ryans Cleaning is celebrating a massive milestone – 40 years in business – and a new chapter as Aisling Ryan officially takes over leadership of the family business from her father and founder, Pat Ryan.
To mark the occasion, the pair sat down for an exclusive interview reflecting on the company’s journey from its early days in Thurles to becoming one of Ireland and the UK’s leading event cleaning and waste management companies.
A Family Legacy
Founded in 1985 by Pat and Philomena Ryan, Ryans Cleaning began by spotting a gap in the market for professional event cleaning, first tested at Féile Festival. Over the decades, the business expanded steadily, building a reputation for reliability and innovation at Ireland’s biggest festivals, racecourses and venues.
In the video interview, Pat reflects on those early days:
“Féile was where it really all began. We saw the opportunity and hit the ground running. Seeing Aisling lead the team at Electric Picnic 21 years after we first took on the contract shows how far we’ve come.”
Now happily retired, Pat says he’s proud to see Aisling carrying forward the same core values of hard work, quality, innovation, and care for both people and the environment.
Resilience Through Challenges
The interview also explores how Ryans Cleaning navigated the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, when live events came to a standstill. “We had to rethink, adapt and stay ready,” Aisling explains. “It showed the strength of our team and the loyalty of our clients. Once events returned, we were able to bounce back stronger than ever.”
Growth Across Borders
From its Irish base, Ryans Cleaning has steadily expanded into the UK market, servicing world-class events such as British Summer Time Hyde Park, Latitude, Reading, Leeds and Creamfields. Looking ahead, Aisling shares her ambition to take the business further:
“We’ve proven ourselves in Ireland and the UK, and the next step is Europe. There’s a huge opportunity for our model, and we’re excited to bring our expertise to new markets.”
Looking Ahead
As the company celebrates 40 years, Aisling is keen to stress the importance of the people behind the success. In 2025 alone, Ryans Cleaning will manage over 7,000 tonnes of waste and clean up after almost 3.5 million patrons – a feat only made possible by its 120 full-time staff and seasonal workforce of more than 1,500.
“None of this would be possible without our team,” Aisling said. “They are the reason we’ve reached this milestone, and they’ll be the reason we succeed over the next 40 years.”
The anniversary message is clear: the legacy of Pat and Phil lives on under Aisling’s leadership, and the commitment remains the same – you are only as good as your last job.
