Richard “Dick” Leo Henggeler, American businessman, philanthropist, and 31 per cent owner of the Rose of Tralee International Festival, left €5.98 million in his will, according to papers published by the Probate Office.
Henggeler, who lived in Maryland, USA, died in October 2025, at the age of 73.
His connection to the Rose of Tralee Festival began when his daughter, Dorothy Moriarty Henggeler, was selected as the Washington Rose in the festival in 2011. She went on to work with Tourism Ireland in Manhattan before she died from a brain tumour in 2014.
Following her death, Henggeler and his Killarney-born wife, Eibhlín Moriarty Henggeler, purchased a hotel in Tralee in 2015 and rebranded it as The Rose Hotel. The hotel served as a central hub and headquarters for the festival.
Henggeler also invested in a 31.1 per cent share in the festival operating company.
In 2024, Henggeler initiated High Court proceedings against festival chief executive Anthony O’Gara and John McCarthy, director and accountant, and also against the festival company.
He sought orders compelling O’Gara, who owned 55 per cent of the shares, and McCarthy, who owned 6 per cent, to sell their shares to him. The action was related to alleged shareholder oppression and sought to secure the return of money he claimed to have loaned to the festival. The outstanding loan was repaid before Henggeler’s death, and following his passing, O’Gara is understood to have bought the Henggeler stake, bringing an end to the matter.
Both parties issued a shared statement acknowledging the “significant contribution made by all involved over many years” and wishing each other well. The Henggeler family – specifically Dick’s widow Eibhlín (Eileen), their son Franz, and daughter-in-law Amber – maintain control of The Rose Hotel.
In his will, Henggeler left all his property in Ireland to his wife. He left the balance of his property to the Richard L Henggeler Revocable Trust, of which his son, Franz, is trustee.