When the pandemic brought Yvonne Dolan’s thriving healthy-snacks business to an abrupt standstill, she didn’t yet know that a new entrepreneurial chapter was already waiting in the wings — on the padel court.

With more than 30 years of experience building and running start-ups in the food sector, Yvonne had just scaled her previous company into large-volume production when Covid shut down operations overnight. “With my work suddenly paused, I found myself playing a lot more padel,” she recalls. Then came a phone call that would change the direction of her career: someone wanted a padel court installed in their garden and assumed that because she played well, she could build one. “A questionable assumption — but I do enjoy a challenge.”

Yvonne took that challenge seriously. In 2020, she travelled to Spain to train for six months with leading padel manufacturers, learning everything from engineering fundamentals to installation techniques. She returned to Ireland with their backing and soon built the first three courts in the country — a milestone that established the foundations of what is now Dolan Padel Courts Ireland (Dolan PCI), the market leader in premium padel court installations.

“After those first three courts, I was confident enough to manage projects independently,” she says. Fast-forward five years and Dolan PCI has become the go-to partner for high-quality, durable, wind- and sun-rated padel courts across Ireland. In 2024, an Irish client requested installations at their holiday homes in Barbados and Quinta do Lago, opening the door to Yvonne’s expansion into Portugal.

Today, she divides her time between Dublin and Almancil, where she leads IPBN member company Dolan Padel Courts Portugal — created to support the surge in demand from Irish clients looking to add premium courts to their Algarve properties. “Our new Almancil office allows us to work closely with local clients, developers, and villa owners, while continuing to deliver large-scale projects across Ireland and Portugal,” she says.

At the core of Yvonne’s work is deep technical expertise. She describes her strengths as understanding and managing every specification involved in padel court construction: structural loads, lighting, coatings, surface systems, drainage, and site preparation. “I oversee each stage of the project to guarantee quality, durability, and long-term performance.” This hands-on approach, paired with engineering precision, has become a defining hallmark of the Dolan PCI brand.

Looking ahead, the company is entering a major growth phase. “In 2026, Dolan PCI will be installing the two largest padel club centres in Ireland, along with several additional projects already in planning and procurement,” Yvonne shares. Growth in Portugal is expected to accelerate in parallel, as the sport gains momentum across the Algarve and beyond.

Her message to the IPBN network is clear: “Dolan Padel Courts Portugal is committed to supporting the rapid growth of padel in the Algarve.” Whether working with villa owners, developers, resorts, or sports facilities, the company brings the same trusted expertise that has positioned them as the Irish market leader.

What began as a hobby — and an unexpected phone call — has evolved into a cross-border business shaping the future of padel in two countries. And for Yvonne Dolan, this next chapter is only just beginning.