Shannon Valley Acquires New Hitachi ZX490-7 Excavator from Seamus Doherty at TBF Thompson

Shannon Valley Group, Ireland’s largest and most progressive civil engineering and plant hire contractors, has taken delivery of a new Hitachi ZX490LCH-7 excavator, purchased from Seamus Doherty at TBF Thompson. This investment further strengthens Shannon Valley’s undeniable fleet and underlines its commitment to using state-of-the-art equipment to support its expanding range of projects across Ireland.

Shannon Valley was founded in 1991 by the late Michael English (Senior), Shannon Valley has grown from a modest plant hire business into a major force in civil engineering, plant hire, and site development, with a strong reputation for quality, safety, efficiency, and innovation. 

  • The company is family-owned and operated. Michael’s three sons—Mick, David, and Dermot—now serve as equal partners in the business. Mick and Dermot oversee the site work, while David is responsible for machinery maintenance.
  • Shannon Valley offers a wide spectrum of services, including civil engineering, residential, commercial and industrial site development, earthworks and bulk excavation, road construction, deep drainage, soil stabilization, on sIte recycling,demolition, quarrying, land reclamation, waste recycling, and plant & haulage services.
  • The company maintains a comprehensive and modern fleet of heavy machinery. It operates approximately 150 excavators ranging in size from 1 to 80 tonnes, a large number of dump trucks, tippers, bulldozers, crushing and screening plant and the country’s most advanced soil stabilization equipment.
  • Shannon Valley has been involved in many high-profile works, including motorway upgrades, tunnel projects (e.g. the Dublin Port Tunnel), coastal and water works, large scale site developments and infrastructure projects across Ireland.
  • Headquarters and major facility operations are based at the Shannon Valley Centre, Donabate, Co. Dublin, which includes extensive workshop, maintenance, administrative, safety, engineering & surveying, transport and parts departments.

The ZX490LCH-7 excavator from Hitachi’s 7 series, designed for tough applications requiring high power, reliability and operator comfort. Its key attributes typically include:

  • Robust digging and lifting capacities suited to heavy earthworks and quarrying operations
  • Advanced hydraulics for smooth, efficient operation
  • Strong undercarriage and durability for long-term service in demanding environments
  • Operator comfort, safety, serviceability and parts support — all important to companies with large fleets working at many locations 

By acquiring the ZX490LCH-7 , Shannon Valley further expands on its undeniable fleet of equipment which places them at the top of their game. It also underlines its ongoing relationship with Hitachi, and specifically with TBF Thompson, which has been a trusted supplier and service partner for many years. The addition of this new machine will help meet demand on multiple simultaneous sites, improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and support Shannon Valley’s standard of excellence in safety and delivery.

“We are very pleased to add the ZX490-7 to our fleet. For us, investments like this are about more than just having the latest equipment — it’s about reliability, efficiency, and doing the job right, safely and on time.”
– David English, Shannon Valley

“Seamus Doherty and the team at TBF Thompson have been excellent partners. Their service and after-sales support for Hitachi machines is a key part of why we continue to rely on them.”
– Mick English, Shannon Valley

With this new acquisition, Shannon Valley continues its trajectory of growth and diversification. As construction activity remains strong across residential, commercial, industrial, infrastructure and utility sectors, Shannon Valley is well positioned to deliver on a variety of projects, providing clients with reliability, innovation, and high standards of safety and quality.