The 'guile, blarney and faith' to build Ireland West Airport Knock
A worker with 40 years of service at Ireland West Airport captured the indefatigable essence of Monsignor James Horan’s personality and his achievement as the airport’s founder on a programme broadcast recently by the BBC World Service.
COMMUNITY NOTES: BALLYHAUNIS - WESTERN PEOPLE (JANUARY 27 EDITION)
A worker with 40 years of service at Ireland West Airport captured the indefatigable essence of Monsignor James Horan’s personality and his achievement as the airport’s founder on a programme broadcast recently by the BBC World Service.
Pearse Concannon told the ‘Witness History’ programme’s feature on Monsignor James Horan how he left a bricklaying apprenticeship to train as a fire officer at the airport. After a 16-week training course, Concannon became one of the first fire and rescue officers at the airport.
The ‘Witness History’ programme, which aired last week, also featured archive audio from the American TV network CBS ’60 minutes’ programme whose anchor described Monsignor Horan as a “parish priest” employing “guile, blarney and faith” to build an airport.
‘Witness History’, which features recollections by witnesses to great events in history, also captured the excitement on the day in 1986 when the airport opened to the cheers of thousands of people and a marching band greeting the arrival of the inaugural flight into the airport, an Aer Lingus service from Dublin.
The Monsignor, speaking to RTÉ on the opening day, predicted somewhat presciently the “prosperity” which the airport would bring to the region. Sorrow at his untimely death several months after the airport’s opening is also captured by Pearse who told ‘Witness History’ that the mammoth task of getting the airport open had “taken its toll”.
‘Witness History’ can be listened to online at the BBC World Service’s webpage.
