'The Liebherr Story' was officially launched at the Europe Hotel & Resort, attracting a crowd of over 250 attendees.

Mayor of Killarney Niall Kelleher Moira Murrell (Chief Executive Kerry County Council) Isolde Liebherr Tom Foley Patricia Ruf Mary Buckley (Interim CEO IDA) and Gerry Bunyan (MD Sales Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd) pictured at the official launch of 'The Liebherr Story'.

Gerry Bunyan MD-Sales at Liebherr Container Cranes speaking at the official launch of 'The Liebherr Story'.

Mary Buckley, Interim CEO IDA

Moira Murrell, Chief Executive Kerry County Council.

BOOK: The book 'The Liebherr Story' was officially launched last week.

Timmy Mackey O'Shea

Tom Foley

The importance of the Liebherr container crane factory, and the Liebherr hotels to the people of Killarney, Kerry and beyond was clear to see with a mix of former and current employees, suppliers, TDs, councillors members of the public and members of the Liebherr family helping to launch Tom Foley’s wonderful new book.

Following a warm welcome from Gerry Bunyan, MD Sales at Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd, Mary Buckley, Interim CEO of the Industrial Development Authority (IDA Ireland) and Moira Murrell, Chief Executive of Kerry County Council spoke at length about the role both organisations played and continue to play in the long history of Liebherr in Ireland.

Mary Buckley said that “Liebherr’s success is indeed IDA Ireland’s success” and that both organisations “share an ambition and vision to be sustainable, innovative and responsive to the needs of industry in an ever changing and challenging global environment”.

She echoed Gerry Bunyan’s words in formally thanking the Liebherr family for their investment and continued support of Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd.

Moira Murrell highlighted Liebherr's contribution to the region through its collaboration with the IDA and local authorities, as well as with Munster Technological University (MTU) to develop the skills in the region. She also mentioned that Liebherr has been an integral part of Kerry life, with thousands of people working with the company over the years and noted that it is these people whose stories are recounted in 'The Liebherr Story'.

LONG HISTORY

Attendees heard from Isolde Liebherr and her daughter Patricia Ruf, who made the journey to Ireland to celebrate the launch of the book. They spoke of the long history of Liebherr in Ireland and highlighted the importance of Killarney to the Liebherr family. They talked warmly of the life-long friendships made here and the special significance of the Killarney factory and the Kerry hotels to the Liebherrs with Killarney being like a second home. Isolde fondly recalled her first visit with her father in 1958, when he came to set up the factory. Their presence at the event was a clear sign of the continued loyalty of the Liebherr family to their operations in Kerry.

Timmy 'Mackey' O’Shea spoke about the now almost legendary “delegation” of local businesspeople and dignitaries, including his father, who made it their business to make off the German industrialist staying at the Great Southern Hotel and to show Hans Liebherr what Killarney had to offer.

Finally, the author, Tom Foley, reminisced about his time at Liebherr, about the people he worked with, and the many stories he collected as he wrote 'The Liebherr Story'. His engaging style, humour and lively anecdotes ensured that the audience were spellbound as he spoke. Tom had a few prescient words about the delegation that served to illustrate the importance of their initiative in tracking down Hans Liebherr. The repercussions of that single act are still felt today, almost 70 years later.

“Were it not for their intervention, somebody else, in some other hotel, in some other town, perhaps, even in some other country, would be standing here this evening, launching 'The Liebherr Story'.

The Liebherr Story is available from all good bookshops and online at buythebook.ie.