Ward & Ward pull the crowds and pints at Tipperary Truck Show
09/02/2026
One of the star attractions at the 2025 Tipperary Truck Show was a Scania Topline cab which was converted into a fully-functional bar by local company Ward & Ward.
The novel, show-stopping bar was the centre of attention at the popular Holycross family event which featured an exciting line-up of live music, trade stands, food vendors, funfair, amusements, a dog show and trucks as far as the eye could see. It even took some of the spotlight away from Ward & Ward’s flagship Scania R650 which drove away with three prizes!
“It was a brilliant weekend,” Paul King of Ward & Ward enthuses.
“The event was a huge success and very well run as always. The weather was great and that really made it.
“We brought along seven trucks – a 2021-reg Scania R650, a 2020-reg Scania S650, two 232-reg Volvo 500 Globetrotters, a 2005-reg Volvo 500 Globetrotter, a 2011-reg Volvo Version 3 and a 2021-reg Iveco S-Way tractor unit – and were lucky enough to win in three categories for the Scania R650, namely ‘Highly Commended in Best Scania’, ‘Highly Commended in Best Semi Custom’ and third place for ‘Best Lighting’.
“The R650 is our main show truck which Ian Ward brings to shows in Ireland and all over Europe. He brought her to the Assen and Super Dik Truck Shows in Holland this year, which are both invitation-only events. It’s one of the last manual Scania’s to be built and that also appeals to a lot of truck show enthusiasts.
Paul adds: “We got a huge reaction to the lorry cab we converted into a bar. It had beer taps and a cooler, so you could pull your own pint while sitting in the driver’s seat! It was lifted onto a frame on the ground by a Moffett Mounty. We’re already looking forward to displaying it at the next truck show.”
Specialising in bulk / heavy haulage, muck shifting, plant hire and warehousing, Ward & Ward is a third-generation family business that continues to go from strength to strength. The company was established in Birdhill, near the Tipperary-Limerick border, in 1933 by Danny Ward. Danny, who passed away in 2002, handed the business down to his sons John, Jim and Donal in the late 1990s. They each ran their own sector within the business, with John managing the trucks, Jim looking after the maintenance and Donal overseeing the plant.
The reins have now been passed to Donal’s sons Ian and Martin, and John’s son Shane, who are proud to carry on the family’s trucking tradition. Ward & Ward has grown to employ over 50 people and has one of the finest fleets around boasting over 30 trucks and trailers as well as an array of plant for hire.
“Our trucks are a mix of Scania, Volvo and Iveco,” Paul explains.
“They’re split evenly between rigids and artics. We’re constantly upgrading and replenishing our fleet to ensure there is no such thing as downtime for our valued customers. To this end, we purchased three new Ivecos from Longhaul Commercials in Tullamore last year. Two of them are five-axle rigids and the other is a tractor unit.
“As for trailers, we have 13 or 14 walking floors, with tippers and flats making up the rest. The business is divided between haulage and plant hire. On the plant hire side of things, we have 30 loading shovels and 20 excavators ranging from three to 25 tonnes. We also have a small number of dump trucks out on hire. The company has invested heavily in plant to match demand from construction sites, quarries and facilities throughout Ireland,” the affable truck driver continues.
“We carry out most of the repairs and maintenance ourselves, except for the trucks that are on contract maintenance.”
Ward & Ward provides efficient, reliable and value-for-money services to an ever-growing customer-base in Munster and beyond. Its main clients include Roadstone, Irish Cement, Panda Waste and Michael Boland Plant & Sports Pitches in Kilrush, Co. Clare.
“We have five or six rigids with Roadstone in Bunratty all of the time. We also draw aggregates into Irish Cement’s production facility in Mungret, and haul sand and gravel for Michael and Seamus Boland. Furthermore, we enjoy a very good relationship with Panda Waste on both the haulage and plant hire side of things.”
Ward & Ward’s people are its greatest asset. The Co. Tipperary firm employs a top-class team of truck drivers, machinery operators, mechanics and office staff personnel who are central to its ongoing growth and success.
“This business would be nothing without our staff. Everyone has a job to do and they do it brilliantly. I can’t praise them enough. It’s a real team effort,” Ian Ward says.
“A company is only as good as the people you have working in it. You can’t run a business without having a good team behind it. We’re also very proud of the fact that we’re a family business with over 90 years of history and heritage.”
Ward & Ward would like to take this opportunity to thank its customers and suppliers for their continued support as well as its hard-working team for their dedication and hard work.
Ward & Ward Ltd
Annaholty,
Birdhill,
Co. Tipperary.
Telephone: 061 377147 / 087 1734334
Email: [email protected]
First published in Irish Trucker magazine January/February 2026, Vol 29-1
