Ireland West Airport

Official twitter account of airport of choice for West & North West of Ireland. Western gateway to 'Wild Atlantic Way'. Serving 21 International destinations

[Ireland West Airport @Irelandwest]

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[Western People @WesternPeople]

Monsignor James Horan had the vision for Knock Airport. But he needed someone to build it, writes Edwin McGreal

https://t.co/73NL9T4k57

[Ireland's Travel Trade Network @ittn_ie]

🎉 @Irelandwest Marks 40 Years of Flying with Celebratory Event 🎉

Ireland West Airport marked a major milestone last week, as hundreds of guests gathered in the airport terminal for a special 40th Anniversary Celebration Night, honouring four decades of connecting the West of Ireland with the world.

Since opening in 1986, the airport has welcomed more than 17 million passengers and now serves close to one million travellers annually.

Read more on ITTN:
https://t.co/KqTNvKm0IU

#ITTNSwitchedOn #IrelandWestAirport #IrishTourism

[Ireland West Airport @Irelandwest]

@edw70865504 @AerLingus @joegilmore5 No problem at all - refills definitely available in our restaurant in departures 👍

[Ireland West Airport @Irelandwest]

We had the pleasure of featuring on the Oliver Callan show on RTE radio today discussing the airports 40th anniversary and the fascinating story of Monsignor Horan’s vision to build an airport in the early 1980’s.

Fr. Richard Gibbons, Parish Priest and Rector of Knock Shrine; Nessa McNeela, Chief Financial Officer with Aer Lingus; and Joe Gilmore, CEO of Ireland West Airport joined Oliver in studio. Listen to the full piece here ⬇️

https://t.co/8rW9Qr24DA

[BUCHANAN: Dublin Time Machine @RobLooseCannon]

Today in 1986, Ireland West Airport, aka Knock Airport, was officially opened. Roughly 3.5 miles from Charlestown, Co. Mayo, it was the brainchild of Monsignor James Horan, who had famously invited Pope John Paul II to visit Knock Shrine on his 1979 visit to Ireland.

Monsignor Horan had already overseen the construction of the Knock Basilica, a church with a capacity of 15,000, having the entire cost covered before it was even consecrated.

The Fine Gael-Labour government of the day had little appetite for the airport project. Jim Mitchell, Minister for Communications, dismissed the idea as "ill-advised in the extreme," the site being "far distant from any sizeable town, high on a foggy, boggy hill."

When RTÉ reporter Jim Fahy stumbled across the Horan on that remote hilltop, surrounded by bulldozers and construction workers, and asked what exactly was going on he replied with a wink: "We're building an airport. Now don't tell anybody. We've no money but we're hoping to get it next week or the week after." Fahy asked if he had planning permission. "I'm not sure whether I have permission or not but I'm going ahead anyway, just taking a chance."

The government had supplied a grant of £9.8 million, but the estimated cost ran closer to £13 million. When Fianna Fáil lost the 1982 election, even that funding was cut, the airport left half-finished. He plugged the gap by organising a "Jumbo Draw," a massive national lottery that required a painstaking fundraising tour of Ireland, Australia, and the United States.

Horan was characteristically defiant when reporters pressed him on it. He invoked the charity concert Live Aid in his explanation: "There's Live Aid and Sport Aid and Self Aid. The people of Mayo have been practising self-aid for generations, otherwise they would have disappeared."

The first flight from Knock had actually taken off five months before the official opening, carrying pilgrims from Mayo to Rome in November 1985. But the ribbon-cutting came on 30 May 1986, with a crowd of 4,000 people gathered at Barnacuig to watch Charles Haughey, then leader of the opposition, do the honours.

Haughey had originally provided permission and initial funding when Taoiseach, and late Mayo journalist John Healy had been the one to put Horan in contact with him. Their alliance had proved the key that unlocked everything. Horan himself called it "the greatest thing that has happened in Connacht in the last 100 years and the greatest day of my life."

He was dead within two months. He died peacefully in his sleep on 1 August 1986 in Lourdes, aged 75, worn out by the effort of building the impossible thing. His remains were flown home to Knock, the first funeral to arrive at the airport he had built. Horan was buried in the grounds of the Basilica. The airport, for a time, bore his name: Horan International Airport.

It has since been renamed Ireland West Airport Knock, a somewhat functional title for an institution with a rather extraordinary origin story. By 2016, it had welcomed its ten millionth passenger, a woman named Lorna Conway from Athlone. Aer Lingus had largely kept its distance in the early years, but Ryanair stepped in and proved crucial to keeping the fledgling operation alive.

Buy the Dublin Time Machine a pint and support the DTM Book
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[Ireland West Airport @Irelandwest]

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[RTÉ Archives @RTEArchives]

Knock Airport officially opened #OnThisDay 40 years ago
WATCH: RTÉ News reports #OnThisDay in 1986 @Irelandwest
https://t.co/JDn2Zo36XZ

[Ireland West Airport @Irelandwest]

On this day 40 years ago, 30th May 1986, Connaught Airport (as it was known then) was officially opened.

As the late, great Monsignor Horan said on the day, 'This is the greatest thing that has happened in Connacht in the last 100 years, and this is the greatest day of my life'.

What a journey it has been since. We are forever grateful ❤️ #IrelandWest40

https://t.co/XnppJfgrn4

[Ireland West Airport @Irelandwest]

Thank you guys 🙏

[Cork Airport @CorkAirport]

A very happy 40th anniversary to our good friends @Irelandwest 🎈🍾

40 years connecting the West of Ireland with the world - supporting trade, tourism and communities.

Beir bua and here’s to the next 40! ✈️

[Ireland West Airport @Irelandwest]

@edw70865504 @AerLingus @joegilmore5 Water refills are available free of charge from the restaurant in departures 👍 water fountains are part of future plans

[RTÉ Nationwide @RTENationwide]

If you missed last nights #RTENationwide telling the remarkable story of Monsignor James Horan and the runway that transformed the west of Ireland - Go to https://t.co/LNYKqQZyIE now! #KnockAirport @Irelandwest @colmflynnire @RTEplayer @RTEArchives @joegilmore5 @rte @MayoHour RT

[Colm Flynn @colmflynnire]

Tonight on @RTENationwide, the amazing story of how a rouge parish priest in the west of Ireland built an airport - with no money or planning permission! Celebrating 40 years of Knock Airport, 7pm, RTÈ One.

[Séamus Duffy @DuffySeamus]

@colmflynnire Thanks for a fantastic celebration of 40 years @Irelandwest Monsignor Horan was a special man, with vision and determination, we owe him a huge debt. 💚❤️

[Barney Cully @barneycully]

All boarded @Irelandwest for the Kilmore Pligrimage to Lourdes & ready for take off in a few minutes. Huge thanks to all the staff in @Irelandwest for their help this morning- all delivered with a smile @joegilmore5

[Ireland West Airport @Irelandwest]

There’s only room for one airport in Knock 😎

[Business Post @businessposthq]

Waterford Airport is aiming to be the new Ireland West Airport in Knock, according to the chief executive of the south-eastern transport facility https://t.co/tc4Yu620js

[Val 📷 @magnumlady]

Car to bar in 8 minutes.
I love @Irelandwest

[Ireland West Airport @Irelandwest]

Mayo fans arriving at Stansted Airport for the 7am flight home this morning 😬😬🫣😆#mayo4sam

[Kenny Conway @Mr_OConbhui]

From front door to the bar you just can’t bate @Irelandwest Hup Mayo 🟢🔴

[Martin Coleman @mairtinocolmain]

Heading for @Irelandwest last week.. #theweekendhaslanded !

[Trevor B @IrishAero]

A fantastic read this morning on @Irelandwest 40th Anniversary in Irish Independent weekend magazine by @EavanMurray #avgeek #aviation #irelandwest40

[Ireland West Airport @Irelandwest]

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[Irish Independent @Independent_ie]

Flying high at 40: ‘It’s the best airport in the world. It’s a different kind of vibe’ https://t.co/CWVutXN3JJ