The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
ANNOYANCE around the Mid- West was very apparent online late last week, following two provocative tweets from Dublin Airport.
The first tweet from the capital’s airport said, “We look forward to being the key gateway for overseas visitors attending #RyderCup 2026, which will take place @TheAdareManor in Limerick”.
Claiming to be the key gateway was a cheeky comment from an airport 222km away from Adare, compared to just 43km from Shannon and it wasn’t long before people from Clare and Limerick were responding unfavourably to the display of Dublin arrogance.
However, Dublin Airport wasn’t in conciliatory mode and quickly doubled down on the earlier tweet, in response to one man asking was Shannon not the key gateway for the event. “We’ll welcome more overseas visitors for the event, as we’re a much larger airport with much greater connectivity to Britain, the US and continental Europe. Overseas visitors using Dublin Airport go to all 32 counties on the island.”
After this, dozens of people from the Mid West, this writer included, began to pile in, criticising Dublin and pointing out that Shannon is a more logical airport to use for anyone planning to travel to Adare.
On Monday, The Clare Champion approached Dublin Airport about the tweets but again it doubled down on the earlier statements. “Dublin Airport is Ireland’s main gateway, with flights to about 200 global destinations this summer, including direct services to 18 airports in the United States, 26 airports in Britain and about 110 airports in continental Europe. As such, Dublin Airport looks forward to welcoming significant numbers of overseas visitors for the Ryder Cup in 2026, who will fly direct to Dublin and then travel onwards to Adare for the event.
“The connectivity provided by the 47 airlines that operate at Dublin Airport brings tourists and business visitors to all 32 counties on the island of Ireland and Dublin Airport promotes itself and this connectivity on a regular basis.”
Dublin Airport is now dwarfing all the other Irish competitors, taking virtually all new traffic into the country and even before the events of last week, there was much criticism of the status it is enjoying.
In the aftermath of the online storm, Deputy Joe Carey lashed out at the Dublin Airport Authority. “The DAA should be told to stop focusing its enormous resources on undermining Shannon. For several years this has been apparent in advertising campaigns that have focused on diverting passengers from the Shannon catchment area to fly out of Dublin.
“Their grab for the status of preferred airport gateway for the Ryder Cup in Adare is only the latest example of how the DAA is preying on Shannon’s business,” Deputy Carey said.
“This latest incident has yet again demonstrated the urgent need for a comprehensive national aviation policy that sets out the criteria of operation and regulates the parameters for each of our airports.
“Without restricting the independence of either the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) or the Shannon Group, a national aviation policy should ensure that the growth of the Dublin monopoly is curtailed in the national interest. The pretence of Dublin being the gateway to everything on this island is a selfish myth and must be called out.
“It is important that the Minister for Transport and the Government faces up to this challenge. It is also important that those responsible for the operation of Shannon Airport and its board of management should stand up to this challenge,” Deputy Carey concluded.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council and Fianna Fáil general election candidate Cathal Crowe tweeted that he was “Very disappointed with DAA’s predatory tweet at a time when this region is basking in good Ryder Cup news”.
Owen Ryan
Owen Ryan
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked for a number of other regional titles in Limerick, Galway and Cork.
