ABOUT OUR COMPANY

Patrick Briody

While Pat Briody has now retired from  day to day active service at Briody Well Drilling Ltd,he still maintains a keen interest and support role for the continued success of the business.

He was one of the first Drilling Contractors to operate a rotary percussion drilling rig in the late 60’s replacing the old percussion Rig with a innovative Ford 800 Truck Mounted Rig utlising air, rotary and percussion simultaneously with the hydraulics operated from the truck engine. This investment brought speed and efficiency into his modus operandi.

Many things have changed today in the drilling business in Ireland, eg technology and drilling capability but the old principles of reliable service, honesty and integrity with customers, reinvesting in modern drilling plant and specialising in core drilling skills and drilling competency still take centre stage at Briody Well Drilling Ltd.Pat instilled these core strengths into the next generation of his three sons  Aidan, Padraig & Eric Briody

Aidan Briody

Aidan is a director of Briody Well Drilling Ltd., he commenced drilling as an apprentice to his father Patrick in 1981. Aidan is responsible for Operations at the Business. He has completed various courses with the British Drilling Association, retains current Safe Pass and CSCS Tickets. His expertise includes:

• Techniques in Mud Drilling / Reverse Circulation.
• Air Rotary percussion drilling.
• Implementation of quality systems.
• Welding.
• Project Management, Team Leadership.

Aidan is unusual in that at 'nearly' 50 he has had 30 years of continuous solid field experience in a wide variety of rock types and aquifer conditions. There is no driller's training programme in Ireland. Driller training programmes in Britain, Europe or the United States teach drillers techniques and methods that are seldom used in Ireland because the nature of the work and the geology are different. Most drillers in Ireland do not receive a formal training, however, our Aidan & his Assistant Drillers have received on-going professional development and training through our work with supervising hydrogeologists and groundwork engineers. Aidan has a sound conceptual and practical understanding of well construction and groundwater flow. Practical training comprised days of continuous on the site supervision from most of the leading hydrogeologists and groundwater engineers in the country.

Aidan has accumulated extensive experience and overcome the many varied drilling problems to achieve proper water well construction in rocks as diverse as esker gravels and beach sands, weathered Devonian sandstones, fractured granites, deep highly altered dolomites in Tipperary, vast open karst caves in the Galway and Roscommon lowlands, and clogged, but ultimately high yield palaeokarst cavities in Laois, Kildare, Kilkenny, Carlow and Offaly. In addition he has drilled through Belfast Sherwood sandstones fissured with dolerite underlying deep superficial deposits. Aidan Briody, has worked in tandem with full-time, on-site, experienced hydrogeologists for probably a total of 4 man-years in the last 5. In some years we have drilled near continuously throughout the year with an experienced hydrogeologist full-time on-site.

Padraig Briody B.Comm., M.B.S.

Padraig has played an active role in the promotion of standards in well drilling in Ireland over the years. 

• He was a member of the Working Group of the Institute of Geologists of Ireland contributing to the publication of the “Water Well Drilling Guidelines”.
• He was selected as a Driller Representative on Geotrainet to promote a European framework for Geothermal Source Heat Pump for both designers and drillers.  The aims of the project is to raise standards in this growing industry sector while protecting the environment for consumers.
• Padraig is currently a committee member of the Geothermal Association of Ireland.

Padraig is the General Manager of Briody Well Drilling Ltd.  He completed a Smurfit Graduate Training Programme in UK from 1988-1992 and has been working in the family business since 1993. Padraig is responsible for Sales and Strategic development in the Business.

Eric Briody

Eric joined the Company in 1997. He is a lead driller and has a wealth of expertise of drilling formations across Ireland. He also has a vested interest in his drilling work because it is a family business and he takes pride in both the drilling machinery which he is operating and delivering  a top class customer service. He holds a Current Safe Pass and has attended various Drilling courses in UK including a 1 week workshop in UK for the "Design, Maintenance and Use of Drilling Fluids for vertical Drilling Applications" in 2009. Eric took a year out to work in a drilling Rig in Australia in 2005. His expertise includes:

• Air Rotary Percussion 5" -16" starter Casing diameter Air, foam, water flush additive.
• Test Wells, Monitoring Wells and Geothermal Well Drilling and associated installations.
• Emplacement of Cement Sanitary seals by tremie pipe injection method.
• Full liaison role with Site Engineer.
• Full input on Health & Safety Plans preparation and implementation.

The Business setting....

The Office and Yard facility is near Rathangan,Co Kildare. The yard comprises an area of 2 acres with 2 purpose built Workshop/Storage sheds and modern office. The Company has been  recipients of 7 Quality Mark awards comprising an independent audit of all aspects of the Company's Quality Management System.In March 1997 our company was awarded an Ulster Bank national title as Business of the Month in recognition of our business growth and development and our implementation of an effective Quality System. In 2005 Briody Well Drilling Ltd adopted the ISO 9001:2000 process based quality management system approach to further enhance customer satisfaction and service. While we do not have formal certification to our processes, we operate in accordance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2000.

In 2008 Briody Well Drilling Ltd was selected as a regional finalist to compete in the National Enterprise Awards in recognition of sustained business growth and quality customer service.

Our range of customer requirements may include any of the following; domestic private wells and agricultural water wells also industrial / commercial / local authority and group water schemes test & production wells .

We undertake a site survey for each domestic well enquiry which allows the opportunity to assess site conditions including Rig access and anticipated drilling conditions. At site survey stage We issue a quotation and our standard terms and conditions to each prospective customer. We ask each customer to consider details of the quotation and revert with any queries and decision to proceed or otherwise. While drilling is in progress we encourage an open policy to keep customers informed of drilling developments. On completion of each well, an estimated output of supply is calculated and records of;  drilling conditions, measurements of steel/plastic casing fitted and other well drilling observations are logged and filed by customer surname & date of completion of works. Customers are advised on follow-through plans including pump installations, pumping tests and well head cover arrangements etc., as appropriate.