Businessman Dermot O’Leary dies aged 71

O’Leary was managing director of Crane Hire Ltd and ex-director of CIÉ and Aer Rianta

Former CIÉ and Aer Rianta board member, businessman Dermot O'Leary, has died.

Mr O'Leary, who was 71, was managing director of Crane Hire Ltd, which he founded with his late brother Tom 50 years ago.

The company is now one of the biggest in its industry, with operations in the Republic and United Kingdom. He had been running the Dublin-based business with members of his family.

Re-appointed

Mr O'Leary served two terms on the board of State airports' manager, Aer Rianta, now called DAA, over 10 years up to 2002. The Government re-appointed him for a second five-year period when his first ended in 1997.

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He was also on the board of State public transport company CIÉ from 1989 until 1995. He served briefly as the company's chairman, but was controversially removed by the then minister for transport Michael Lowry.