Athy man leading way on road and farm machinery safety
Barry Keatley (right) with Aaron at the Virtual Driving Hub Photograph: Patrick Browne
AN ATHY man who has been spearheading a mission to making roads, farms and construction sites safer is expanding his work into Irish schools.
Barry Keatley of the Virtual Driving Hub is expanding his work by supplying simulators to Irish schools. Holy Trinity College in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, where GAA star Peter Canavan teaches, will soon become the first to install two simulators after a successful fundraising campaign.
This means students will be able to develop safe driving and machinery-handling skills from an early age – in a controlled, risk-free environment.
Barry survived a horrific car accident in 2000 and doctors feared they would have to amputate his leg.
He spent a year in Tallaght Hospital, months in a wheelchair, and years rebuilding his life. Today, he has turned that experience into a mission: making Irish roads, farms, and construction sites safer through pioneering virtual driving technology.
Barry subsequently established the Virtual Driving Hub on the Carlow Road in Athy in 2023 – Ireland’s first training centre of its kind.
Using advanced Tenstar simulators, he helps people safely learn how to handle vehicles and machinery ranging from cars and tractors to tower cranes, bulldozers, and emergency service vehicles.
Barry Barry said: “Growing up on a farm, I drove tractors from the age of six. In construction and quarrying, I worked punishing shifts, sometimes 20 hours a day. Like many young men, I thought I was indestructible.
“My accident changed everything – it showed me the catastrophic impact of fatigue and the importance of safety. Now, I want others to learn without paying that same price.” Barry also believes Ireland must embrace the potential of women drivers in industries traditionally dominated by men.
“Time and again, I see women outperform men on simulators. They drive machines the way they’re meant to be driven – with skill, precision, and care. We need to start seeing more women in roles like HGV driving, excavator operation, and construction work. In places like Australia, women are already leading in these industries, and Ireland should be no different.”
Virtual Training Hub continues to train construction companies, agricultural colleges and individual learners. It also partners with Foróige and the Irish Prison Service to upskill young people and jobseekers. Barry has the ambition to open Virtual Driving Hubs across Ireland and to see more schools embrace simulator training, offering students valuable life skills and career pathways in transport, agriculture, and construction.
