08.12.2025

Sophie's crane

Irish rental company Allen Crane Hire has taken delivery of a new 100 tonne Tadano AC 4.100-L All Terrain crane, following the recent addition of a 300 tonne AC 6.300-1 and a 220 tonne AC 5.220L-1.
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The four axle AC 4.100L-1 features a six section, 60 metre main boom, topped by a 10 to 19 metre bi-fold swingaway with up to 40 degrees of offset. An 8.1 metre insert can be installed between the boom nose and swingaway to provide a maximum tip height of 85 metres. The maximum counterweight is 24.5 tonnes, of which up to 6.1 tonnes can be carried on board within 12 tonne axle loads.

The new crane will be operated by Sophie Allen, the daughter of company director Robbie Allen. Sophie, 22, has been a CSCS-certified crane operator since 2022 and is among the youngest female crane operators in Ireland. She has already operated a number of cranes on various sites, including luffing jib tower cranes and crawler cranes.
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Sophie Allen in the cab

Anthony Mullin of Tadano Ireland said: “I’ve been in this profession for almost 30 years, and Sophie is the first female crane operator I’ve briefed. And let me tell you, I was really impressed - she’s confident, an incredibly skilled crane operator, and a true expert at load calculations and load securing techniques - just an absolute generational talent.”
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Robbie Allen hands over the keys to Sophie Allen

Sophie Allen added: “Tony is a true expert through and through and takes the time to share his vast knowledge with palpable excitement.”

Headquartered in Tinode, Blessington, County Wicklow, Allen Cranes has specialised in rentals as well as sales for 30 years, offering range of services including erection, dismantling, servicing, and repairing tower cranes.