NORTH Clare was flying high this week as two Ballyvaughan brothers were able to co-pilot a number of Ryanair flights flying out of Shannon Airport together.
Cormac and Neil Walsh took charge of their first ever flight together on February 17 and had three other successful flights before newly qualified Neil took up his new position in Alicante.
The Ballyvaughan brothers are the sons of artist Manus Walsh and Claire Walsh and the great grandsons of Maurice Walsh, author of The Quiet Man.
“Cormac is the eldest and he was the captain for the flights. He has always wanted to fly since he was a little boy. He had model planes all over his bedroom when he was a young boy and it was very clear that he wanted to be a pilot,” said proud Mom, Claire Walsh.
“He joined Ryanair when he was 33 and he has been with them ever since.
“He has been based all over the place, in Liverpool, the Canaries, everywhere, until he eventually got Shannon, which he is delighted about because he was building a house here and he could be in his own bed every night.
“Neil, on the other hand, didn’t express a great interest in flying when he was younger.
“He had been an engineer for some time with Boston Scientific but always had an interest in flying, maybe it came from his brother.
“Neil will be 42 years old in July so he decided to change tack. It took him a whole year to do it and any change of career costs a lot of money as well, but he is enjoying it. Neil is now based in Alicante so the chances of them flying together are slip to nil from now on.
“They both went to school locally in Lisdoonvarna and are very much local boys and they both really love their jobs.”
According to Claire, their was no sibling rivalry during their recent flights together and they worked very well as a team and cooperated through their time in the sky together.
“They were both into me last night and I was slagging them about it, but they got on absolutely fine,” said Claire.
“There was an eight year gap between Cormac and Neil, and as they grew up they both got on fine together, Cormac being the big brother. They get on very well together.
“I was joking with them though, telling them there was to be no fighting on the plane.”
Despite two of her four children now being pilots, Claire says she won’t have trouble keeping track of where in the world they are.
“All four of the children were brought up in Ballyvaughan and all left immediately after their Leaving Cert, thinking the world was going to be a wonderful place, which it is. But they have all come back to live here now. Which is brilliant,” said Claire.
“Neil will actually be the only one who is away now that he is to be based in Alicante.
“So it is easier than you would think to keep track of all of my children.”
Claire Walsh operated Claire’s Restaurant in Ballyvaughan for year’s from the 1970s.
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and podcaster who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.