Pension and other postretirement benefits - fair values of pension plan assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	$ 340,265	$ 315,951
Cash
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	437	664
Money market funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	76	184
Equity Securities | Managed Volatility
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	88,051	80,052
Equity Securities | U.S. Small/Mid-Cap Equity
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	24,785	18,549
Equity Securities | World Equity (excluding United States)
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	33,376	29,632
Equity Securities | Common Equity Securities – Teleflex Incorporated
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	18,838	15,366
Equity Securities | Diversified United Kingdom Equity
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		845
Equity Securities | Diversified Global
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	5,086	2,948
Equity Securities | Emerging Markets
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		1,055
Fixed Income Investments | Long duration bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	73,544	80,855
Fixed Income Investments | UK corporate bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		2,467
Fixed Income Investments | UK Government bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		4,838
Fixed Income Investments | High yield bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	15,451	10,702
Fixed Income Investments | Emerging Markets
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	9,412	10,060
Fixed Income Investments | Corporate, government and foreign bonds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	1,864	75
Fixed Income Investments | Asset backed – home loans
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	527	655
Other Investments | Structured credit
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	35,066	29,591
Other Investments | Hedge fund of funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	22,748	22,599
Other Investments | UK Property Fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	1,377	1,654
Other Investments | Multi asset funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	9,622	3,155
Other Investments | Other
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	5	5
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	266,896	251,312
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Cash
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	437	664
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Money market funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	76	184
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | Managed Volatility
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	88,051	80,052
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | U.S. Small/Mid-Cap Equity
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	24,785	18,549
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | World Equity (excluding United States)
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	33,376	29,632
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | Common Equity Securities – Teleflex Incorporated
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	18,838	15,366
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | Diversified United Kingdom Equity
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		845
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | Diversified Global
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	5,086	2,948
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Equity Securities | Emerging Markets
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		1,055
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed Income Investments | Long duration bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	73,544	80,855
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed Income Investments | UK corporate bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		2,467
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed Income Investments | UK Government bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets		4,838
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed Income Investments | High yield bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	15,451	10,702
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed Income Investments | Emerging Markets
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed Income Investments | Corporate, government and foreign bonds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	1,792
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed Income Investments | Asset backed – home loans
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Other Investments | Structured credit
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Other Investments | Hedge fund of funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Other Investments | UK Property Fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Other Investments | Multi asset funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	5,460	3,155
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Other Investments | Other
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	15,550	12,444
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Cash
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Money market funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Equity Securities | Managed Volatility
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Equity Securities | U.S. Small/Mid-Cap Equity
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Equity Securities | World Equity (excluding United States)
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Equity Securities | Common Equity Securities – Teleflex Incorporated
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Equity Securities | Diversified United Kingdom Equity
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Equity Securities | Diversified Global
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Equity Securities | Emerging Markets
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed Income Investments | Long duration bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed Income Investments | UK corporate bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed Income Investments | UK Government bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed Income Investments | High yield bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed Income Investments | Emerging Markets
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	9,412	10,060
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed Income Investments | Corporate, government and foreign bonds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	72	75
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed Income Investments | Asset backed – home loans
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	527	655
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Other Investments | Structured credit
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Other Investments | Hedge fund of funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Other Investments | UK Property Fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	1,377	1,654
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Other Investments | Multi asset funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	4,162
Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Other Investments | Other
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	57,819	52,195
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Cash
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Money market funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Equity Securities | Managed Volatility
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Equity Securities | U.S. Small/Mid-Cap Equity
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Equity Securities | World Equity (excluding United States)
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Equity Securities | Common Equity Securities – Teleflex Incorporated
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Equity Securities | Diversified United Kingdom Equity
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Equity Securities | Diversified Global
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Equity Securities | Emerging Markets
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed Income Investments | Long duration bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed Income Investments | UK corporate bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed Income Investments | UK Government bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed Income Investments | High yield bond fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed Income Investments | Emerging Markets
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed Income Investments | Corporate, government and foreign bonds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed Income Investments | Asset backed – home loans
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Other Investments | Structured credit
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	35,066	29,591
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Other Investments | Hedge fund of funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	22,748	22,599
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Other Investments | UK Property Fund
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Other Investments | Multi asset funds
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Other Investments | Other
Schedule Of Pension Plan Assets By Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	$ 5	$ 5