Westward Scania celebrates 50 years with IRHA Conference sponsorship
Westward Scania marked a major milestone as the main sponsor of the Irish Road Haulage Association’s Annual Conference in Killarney.
The sponsorship comes as Westward Scania celebrates 50 years as the official Scania distributor in the Republic of Ireland, adding extra significance to its support for one of the most important events in the Irish road transport calendar.
Westward’s association with Scania dates back to 1976, when company founder Jim Callery secured the franchise for Scania trucks and buses in the Republic of Ireland.
Westward Garage itself had been established in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon in 1959. When the Scania franchise was secured, the Swedish truck manufacturer had only a small presence in Ireland and Westward initially sold trucks throughout the country.
Over the following decades, a nationwide Scania dealer network was developed, while Westward maintained its strong retail presence in Strokestown and continued to build the Scania brand in the Irish truck, bus and coach markets.
Today, Westward Scania continues to import and distribute Scania products in Ireland, while providing vehicle sales, parts, workshop and aftersales support.
The company’s 50th anniversary has also been marked by the creation of a special Svempas Westward Scania Special Edition, developed to celebrate the milestone and Scania’s particularly strong following among Irish operators.
Its sponsorship of the 2026 IRHA Annual Conference at the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, therefore provided an appropriate backdrop to the anniversary.
The conference brought together hauliers, Government ministers, policymakers and transport industry representatives at a crucial time for the sector, with fuel costs, Government supports, regulation, competitiveness and decarbonisation dominating the agenda.
For Westward Scania, supporting the IRHA Conference in its 50th anniversary year underlines a relationship with Ireland’s road haulage community that now stretches across half a century.