THERE were emotional scenes at Shannon Airport this Wednesday as hundreds of disembarking passengers who feared they would be victims of the big freeze, were greeted with hugs and kisses from relieved family and friends.
Ciara O’Meara, Monaleen Park, Monaleen, made it back from Toronto to be with her mum, Ursula.
“I thought she wouldn’t make it. I was speaking to her on Skype and she was crying and thought she’d have to spend Christmas alone in Toronto.
“We were told she wouldn’t make it back until the 27th”.
There were dozens of relieved faces in the arrivals lounge,
One man from Miltown Malbay welcomed his son home from London after he was told he wouldn’t make it for Christmas.
Another young man from Drogheda was set to make the trek home after a detour which brought him to Shannon.
“I booked a flight from Frankfurt to Dublin, which was cancelled. I then booked a flight from Frankfurt-Hahn to Kerry, which was diverted to Shannon. Now I’m waiting for a bus home”.
Some had less difficulty travelling from abroad than locals had getting to Shannon
A German man, resident in Shannon for the past five years, was particularly irate.
“It doesn’t make sense, a little bit of snow brings Ireland and the UK to a standstill. In Germany we have 50 or 60cms every year and it’s no problem”.
Others complained that the roads they had travelled from West Limerick, North Kerry and Clare were not sufficiently gritted.
Almost 70,000 people were expected to pass through Shannon over the festive period.
It remained fully operational during the weather crisis, though it has suffered knock-on effects due to delays and closures of other airports.
Airport director Mary Considine, said: “A number of flights were delayed or cancelled due to runway closures or significant delays at other airports”.
Shannon town councillor and taxi driver Sean McLoughlin, said that there had been an increase in passengers in the last two weeks as flights were diverted from Heathrow and Dublin.
“It’s not ideal at this time of year, but there hasn’t been one person left stranded.
“I suppose the ill wind blew good for us as taxi drivers because we have been getting a lot of business, but we’ve had to travel on a lot of dangerous roads and it has been risky”.
