The Christmas spirit has well and truly landed at Shannon Airport today as families right across the country welcome home their loved ones for the festivities.
The final few flights are coming in this lunchtime with joyful reunions expected right up until 3 o’clock, while there’s around 5,000 more passing through Shannon this month than December last year.
Clare FM’s James Mulhall has been visiting Shannon Airport
The arrivals hall here at Shannon is full of festive cheer today, as people from across the country welcome home their love ones just in time for Christmas Day.
Flights from London are particularly busy, along with the transatlantic routes of New York and Boston also popular with emigrants.
The long wait was over for these excited families broke their hugs for just long enough to tell us how they’re feeling.
There are few people in the airport who will be better placed to keep a watchful eye over reunions than Barry O’Regan.
Barry is the supervisor of JJ Ruddles Bar in the arrivals lounge and has been speaking to all sorts over the past few days.
As a barman, Barry says he’s been hearing every and any story that people want to share while they wait.
Of course, with homecomings happening throughout the month, December sees passenger numbers jump at Shannon Airport.
And Managing Director Andrew Murphy says they’re even higher this year than they’ve seen before.
For now though, it’s home to the fire and mince pies for everyone landing into Shannon this afternoon.
