Allen Crane Hire adds 100 tonne AT crane

Allen Crane Hire has taken delivery of a new Tadano AC 4.100L-1 all terrain crane, marking the third Tadano unit to join the company’s fleet in rapid succession. The Irish crane services provider, headquartered in Tinode, Blessington, recently added an AC 6.300-1 and an AC 5.220L-1 as part of an ongoing fleet renewal.

Robbie Allen hands over the key to his daughter Sophie Allen.

The AC 4.100L-1, handed over by Tadano Ireland’s Anthony Mullin and Ed Taylor, will support a wide range of lifting work across the country, including the company’s core specialty of tower crane erection and dismantling.

Allen Crane Hire said the model fits neatly into its operations alongside the larger AC 6.300-1, whose 80-meter main boom allows it to handle up to 90 per cent of tower cranes used in Ireland.

Company director Robbie Allen noted the newest addition has a special significance. The machine, nicknamed “Sophie’s Crane,” will primarily be operated by his daughter, Sophie Allen, one of the youngest female crane operators in Ireland. At 22 she has been CSCS-certified since 2022 and has already gained experience operating tower cranes of various sizes, luffers and crawler cranes across multiple jobsites.

Tadano’s Mullin, who conducted handover training, praised her skill level. “I’ve been in this profession for almost 30 years, and Sophie is the first female operator I’ve briefed. She’s confident, technically strong and extremely capable with load calculations and load-securing techniques – a generational talent,” he said.