Our Story

Built on Expertise. 50 Years Strong.

Kilkenny Welding Supplies was founded in 1975 by Eamon Sheehan — a single, determined decision to build something that the industry could rely on. What started as a specialist welding supplier in Kilkenny has grown, over five decades, into one of Ireland's most trusted family-owned welding business specialisinhg in welding equipment, consumables, calibration, and plant hire.

This is not a story about scale. It is a story about expertise, trust and support earned one job at a time.

Growing Into Ireland's Welding Partner

Through the 1980s and 1990s, KWS built its reputation across the construction, agricultural, and manufacturing sectors. As Irish industry modernised, KWS modernised with it — adding product lines, building technical knowledge, and deepening relationships with the world's leading welding brands.

KWS became an authorised stockist and distributor for Fronius, Telwin, Hypertherm, Kemper, BDS, Cougartron, Hilco, and Promotech. These are not commodity brands. They are the benchmark brands specified by engineers, maintenance leads, and project managers.

Expanding Across the Midlands

To better serve customers across Leinster and the Midlands, now KWS operated from it's two loacations in Kilkenny and in Portlaoise, Co. Laois. The Portlaoise shop has since expanded significantly — adding warehouse space, increasing stock depth, and becoming the home of KWS's plant and tool hire service.

Between the Kilkenny and Portlaoise locations, KWS now provides same-day trade counter access to two of Ireland's most strategically central locations — serving construction crews, agricultural contractors, and engineering firms across a wide geographic footprint.

Innovating Tomorrow — Training the Next Generation

In 2025, KWS reached its 50th year in business. The milestone was marked not with nostalgia, but with a forward-looking commitment: KWS actively trains apprentices in its Portlaoise workshop, passing on 50 years of accumulated technical knowledge to the next generation of Irish welders, electricians and engineers.

This apprenticeship programme reflects what KWS has always believed — that technical knowledge is a competitive advantage, and that the best way to sustain it is to share it.

KWS tracks developments in welding technology closely: inverter technology, pulse MIG processes, weld cleaning systems, fume extraction, and the shift to low-emission welding in construction and retrofit applications. When a new product category matters to Irish industry, KWS stocks it, understands it, and can demonstrate it.

2025 — 50 Years Strong

Fifty years after Eamon Sheehan opened the doors, KWS remains a family-run Irish business. The faces may have changed, but the founding principles have not: deep expertise, reliable stock, honest advice, and a commitment to keeping Irish operations running.

KWS: Founded 1975.

Still family-owned.

Still the first call for Ireland's welding and engineering professionals.

Back to About Us →