Recalling how one priest’s airport dream won take off
They said it could never be done. But somehow Irish priest Father James
Horan saw his vision of an airport at Knock become reality. Now the amazing
story has been told in a new book. Author Terry Reilly talks to The Irish
Post.
What prompted you to write the book?
Having lived with the story and the building of the airport it was something
I wanted to do for years. I knew all the central characters involved and
always believed it was a story waiting to be told — an uplifting
story and a superb example of what people can accomplish if they set their
minds to it.
How difficult was it tracking down the main people involved?
Easy but time consuming. Everyone I approached gave of their time generously
even those who had opposed the airport originally. Unfortunately Charlie
Haughey was too ill to be interviewed but corresponded with me and wished
the book every success.
Despite Fr. Horan’s commitment many people never thought the airport
would be a success — why do you think it succeeded?
Because Monsignor Horan was not a man to take no for an answer. He was
not afraid of taking on big projects. He had built up Knock Shrine and
was the man who brought Pope John Paul II to Ireland in 1979. He was direct
and he took short cuts but he was an old man in a hurry. When he started
off he was 68 years old. He had the support of Taoiseach Charlie Haughey,
the support of the landowners and he had a well-tested team behind him.
The story still seems incredible: How did Fr Horan’s vision come
about?
He saw the West of Ireland being denuded of its people. He saw unemployment
in the areas around Knock rise to well over 60 per cent. He saw garda
stations, schools, hospitals and railway lines being closed down. He saw
people forced to emigrate. He knew that without infrastructure and means
of accessing the region job creation could not be achieved. He knew the
roads and rail links would take years to improve so he saw a decent airport
as a way of getting things done quickly.
How important was Charles Haughey’s support?
Charles Haughey was key to the project — without him it could hardly
have happened. Haughey was Mayo-born and always wanted to do something
for the West. He saw that Monsignor Horan was a man who could deliver.
Haughey stuck with the project even when the going got rough.
Unfortunately when Fine Gael and Labour formed a coalition government
in the 1980s the plug was pulled on the airport. By then close on £10million
had been spent by taxpayers on the project but there was still a gaping
hole at the end of a truncated runway. Horan had to raise £3million
to finish it off and he did with a team of marvellous fundraisers and
generous contributors.
That was the strength of the airport: People rising up to support Horan
and what he stood for. The West had not seen anything like it since the
days of Michael Davitt.
Ireland has changed immensely since the founding of the airport: Do you
think a similar thing could ever happen now?
Probably not. Remember the dark and dreary 1980s in Ireland? Net emigration
from Ireland in the 1940s had hit 409,000 before dropping back to 135,000
in the 1960s. A net inflow of 104,000 was recorded in the 1970s but the
outflow recommenced with a vengeance in the 1980s when 208,000 emigrated.
Monsignor Horan was at pains in pointing out that in 1975 Mayo had 24,500
full-time farmers. By 1991 that number was down to 11,000.
Over the generations people had been forced to leave Ireland to survive.
It is estimated that 82 per cent of emigrants to Britain in the 1960s
had left school by the age of 15. Some 200,000 Irishmen worked in British
construction in the 1960s, many of them from the West.
Monsignor Horan realised something had to be done to change the mood —
something that would give people confidence in their ability to improve
things. His airport project was really his grandest and boldest gesture.
What benefits has the airport brought to the area over the years?
Ireland West Airport Knock is a huge success heading for 1million passengers
a year. It is estimated that by 2020 it will be servicing 50 destinations
worldwide and carrying at least 2million passengers a year.
The airport employs almost 130 people and supports about 800 jobs in the
region. Total spending by inbound tourists is estimated at over ¤60million.
By 2020 it’s expected the airport will be contributing ¤200million
annually in tourism spending and supporting between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs
at its Business Park.
What do you see as the future for the airport?
The airport site will look much larger than it currently is. Chief Executive
Liam Scollan and his team have unveiled a 30-year physical masterplan
which will guarantee that there will be the space and forward planning
to accommodate the vision for continued expansion.
By 2015 the plan envisages the current terminal building trebling in size
to around 15,000 sq metres and the car parking provision trebling to 3,000.
New public transport connections will link the airport with centres up
and down the west coast and further afield. The knock-on effect will be
more passengers flying to and from more and more destinations including
America.
The future is very bright for Monsignor James Horan’s creation.
Even today, people look up into the skies around Mayo when they hear a
jet aircraft, bless themselves and say: “There goes Monsignor Horan.”
It is certain that he is going to get busier and busier.
To purchase a copy of On A Wing And A Prayer contact author Terry Reilly
at terryreilly@eircom.net or write to him at Killala Road, Ballina, Co.
Mayo, Ireland. |
