How Liebherr came to be in Killarney

Written by Tom Foley, the book - which will be formally launched at an open event in the Hotel Europe & Resort on Monday, March 20 - tells the story of how Liebherr came to be at a time when Killarney was still a rural backwater.

Tom began employment with Liebherr as a Trainee Fitter/Welder in 1963. After two years in this position, he progressed through several management positions, including Works Organisation Manager and Human Relations Manager. He retired in 2009, after 46 years of service with the company.

The book talks of the importance of Liebherr to the people of Killarney and beyond. It is packed with detail, rich with humour and full of anecdotes. It is a book about the people of Liebherr, written by someone who was there for almost half a century.

Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd., founded in Kirchdorf an der Iller in Southern Germany in 1949, is one of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in the world and also operates from a base in Killarney. The Liebherr Group includes over 140 companies across all continents. In 2021, it employed more than 49,000 staff and achieved combined revenues of over €11.6 billion.

The Killarney Advertiser, with assistance from Liebherr Container Cranes, has been given permission to publish an excerpt from the new books.

CHAPTER ONE

"Michael, a local boy, was pedalling his way to school that day. His curiosity was aroused by unusual activity opposite the entrance to Killarney Golf Club. A big man was trying to open a gap in the fence with a spade. Nothing unusual about that, except for the way he was dressed.

An expensive suit, shirt and tie did not seem appropriate attire for the task at hand.

Also, Michael wondered why the group of onlookers seemed unwilling to help. Even more puzzling, a bulldozer, with its engine running, was standing idle nearby. Michael rested on his bike for a few minutes, one foot on the road and the other on a pedal, trying to make sense of the strange proceedings. Soon, the big man stepped back and allowed the bulldozer to finish the task. Perhaps the job was a bit too much for him?

Michael, now realising he was going to be late for school, scratched his head with bewilderment and moved on. He decided to invent a more credible tale to explain his lateness. His teacher was an understanding man. However, he wasn’t going to test his patience by spinning him a story that seemed a little bit too far-fetched. When Michael arrived at school, no excuse was needed. Word had spread like wildfire that the Germans had arrived. Everything now made sense. The name of the man with the spade was Hans Liebherr, and he had been performing a ceremonial opening of the site for his new factory.

Rumours that the Germans were coming had abounded in recent months. Now, on this chilly February morning of 1958, the strange activity at Gortroe proved they were well-founded."