The Liebherr Story

The Liebherr Story

One of the first and most enduring foreign investments in an Irish rural community.

by Tom Foley

Based in Killarney for over 60 years, Liebherr is widely regarded as one of the most iconic examples of the success of foreign direct investment in Ireland. The Liebherr Story details Hans Liebherr’s arrival in Killarney in the 50’s. It talks about the innovative community leaders who persuaded him to set up shop in Killarney and follows the company to the the present day, where Liebherr Container Cranes is regarded as a world leader in the supply of innovative container handling equipment.

It tells the story how Liebherr came to be, at a time when Killarney was still a rural backwater. It 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.

Primarily however, it is a book about the people of Liebherr, written by someone who was there, for 46 years, from 1963 until 2009.

Anyone with a passing interest in Liebherr, local history, or an interest in the social and economic history of Ireland will find the book hard to put down.