Burns Car Sales Sligo — Škoda Dealer Since 2002

Burns Car Sales has been Sligo's official Škoda dealer since 2002. Marketing manager Eileen Conlon is the only person in Škoda's entire Irish dealer network ever to win national Marketing Person of the Year twice, and Dealer Principal Shane Burns is carrying the family business into its second generation.

Burns Car Sales at a glance

Burns Car Sales established: 2002, as Sligo's official Škoda dealer
Dealer Principal: Shane Burns
Location: Dublin Road, Ballisodare (Ballysadare), Co. Sligo, F91 EK53
Specialisms: New Škoda, used cars across multiple brands, servicing (all makes), genuine parts
Autoza status: Verified Premium Dealer

When was Burns Car Sales founded?

Burns Car Sales opened as Sligo's official Škoda dealer in 2002. Burns Car Sales' own site describes the family as having over 40 years in the Irish motor trade — a claim we haven't independently traced back further than the 2002 Škoda franchise date, so we've kept this piece to what we could verify directly rather than repeat an unverified figure as fact.

The clearest dated milestone we could verify: on Friday 20 January 2017, Burns Car Sales held the launch event for its current Škoda showroom in Ballisodare, thanking everyone "who came along and celebrated with us." We confirmed the exact date directly from the dealership's own dated Facebook post rather than relying on a paraphrase of it.

The Burns Car Sales team at the January 2017 Škoda showroom launch in Ballisodare, Sligo — The Burns Car Sales team at the launch of the current Škoda showroom, Ballisodare, January 2017.

▶ Watch: Burns Car Sales' New Showroom LaunchBurns Car Sales SKODA on YouTube · 1:42

Who runs Burns Car Sales?

Shane Burns is Dealer Principal, carrying the family business into its second generation. Speaking to the Leitrim Observer on the arrival of the all-new Škoda Superb, Shane said the team "couldn't be more thrilled" to bring the latest model to Sligo customers — coverage that comes from a dealership genuinely embedded in its local press, not just its local market.

What has Burns Car Sales been recognised for?

Marketing manager Eileen Conlon has twice won Škoda Ireland's national 'Marketing Person of the Year' award — in 2014 and again in 2018. By Burns Car Sales' own account of the 2018 award, presented at Škoda's annual dealer conference in Dublin, Eileen is the only person in the Škoda Ireland dealer network to have won the award more than once, beating competition from 26 other dealers nationwide. Škoda Ireland's Head of Product & Marketing, presenting the award, praised Burns Car Sales' "innovative marketing campaigns" for helping make Škoda one of Sligo's best-selling brands.

The 2018 award recognised two campaigns in particular: a graduation-season competition offering local sixth-year students a chauffeur-driven trip to their graduation, and 'Made for Sligo', a local take on Škoda's national 'Made for Ireland' campaign built around the seven-seat Kodiaq Sportline. Separately, in 2018, Burns sales executive Eoin McGuinness won the National Škoda Challenge, a nationwide test of product knowledge and customer care against sales consultants from every Škoda dealer in the country.

▶ Watch: Škoda Kodiaq — Made For SligoBurns Car Sales SKODA on YouTube · 2:08

What is My Škoda at Burns Car Sales?

Burns Car Sales runs its own customer loyalty scheme, My Škoda, giving Škoda owners ongoing discounts on servicing, genuine accessories and Škoda merchandise, along with small perks like free puncture repairs and a wash and vacuum with any service. What stands out is how local it is: Burns has built a network of Sligo business partners into the scheme, so a My Škoda customer also gets discounts at businesses like Pet Stop, The Embassy Steakhouse and Wards Pharmacy. It's a genuinely community-rooted loyalty programme, not a generic points scheme bolted onto a car dealership.

What does Burns Car Sales specialise in?

Škoda is the heart of the business — the full current range, from the compact Fabia and Scala through the family-favourite Octavia and Superb to the Kodiaq, Karoq and Kamiq SUVs, plus Škoda's electric Enyaq and Elroq. Alongside new Škoda sales, Burns Car Sales carries a genuine spread of quality used cars on Autoza across other brands too, reflecting the trade-ins of a busy, long-established dealership.

Does Burns Car Sales service other makes, not just Škoda?

Yes. Burns Car Sales is the area's main Škoda Service Centre, but its technicians service and repair all makes and models. Customers get a pick-up and drop-off service so a car can go in for work without disrupting the day, and every part fitted is genuine Škoda, backed by a two-year warranty. On the finance side, Burns works with Škoda Financial Services — backed by Volkswagen Financial Services — to arrange PCP and finance for new and used buyers.

What do customers say about Burns Car Sales?

Burns Car Sales holds a 4.9 out of 5 rating from more than 200 Google reviews. The dealership is also a Verified Premium Dealer on Autoza, a badge only awarded once a dealer's review record clears a genuine threshold. Nearly 6,000 people follow the dealership on Facebook, with over 200 having checked in in person.

Where is Burns Car Sales located?

The showroom is on the Dublin Road in Ballisodare (also spelled Ballysadare), Co. Sligo, F91 EK53 — about 7km south of Sligo town, serving the wider North West.