New Airport - Cork(Killeagh)

[eoinok]

Heard this today in Thurles while following the rebel army.
Talking to a lady whose home place backs onto a piece of land in Ballyquirke, Killeagh, where there apparently was an airfield during world war 1 but is now covered over.

She was telling me the Ryanair have been making several offers to the owner of the land to buy it off him. Obviously it seems they must be interested in it with a view to building an airport there? Apparently anyway, he has more or less accepted their last offer.

So what now?? As there was previously an aerodrome there, would it still be marked on maps etc etc so there would be no issue with planning for an airfield?? As there is technically already one there?? Planning would only be needed for terminal buildings etc, but then again, these could also be registered on a map??

Would be a hugely interesting move by ryanair? Implications for Cork would be huge, and also maybe too, for Shannon and lesser extent Dublin. Ryanair just have 1 base out of ireland that they fully own and operate themselves??

Anyone else hear about this?? or is it all just "pie in the sky"??

[apaddyinuk]

I would be AMAZED if Ryanair were actually offering to BUY an airport let alone a plot of land they intend to develope into one!!! It just does not fit in with their business model in my opinion. Could be wrong but I doubt it. As for Cork getting a second airport??? HAHAHA, they barely know how to make use of the one they have.

[asianfly]

Never knew of an airfield in Killeagh, although I do remember there being some assembly spot for microlight aircraft in East Cork somewhere. Small scale stuff though and if there was a runway, I imagine it was only a grass strip, if that.
Apaddyinuk is spot on with regards to his comments on the existing airport in Cork. And I agree with him on the fact that Ryanair would be unlikely to invest millions in building a runway and dealing with the inevitable planning delays, etc. A runway is no small undertaking, and the support services (fire, atc, etc) also have to be provided. Interestingly, the Killeagh/Midleton area was originally earmarked for an airport until some bright spark thought Farmer's Cross (the present Cork Airport) was a much better location! No doubt that decision was influenced heavily by political considerations. 40 years later and no change on that score!!

[buzzmebaby]

As there was previously an aerodrome there, would it still be marked on maps etc etc so there would be no issue with planning for an airfield?? As there is technically already one there?? Planning would only be needed for terminal buildings etc, but then again, these could also be registered on a map??

Just because something is on a map doesn't give it planning permission. And you can guarantee that the professional objectors who hold up most critical infrastructure in Ireland would be coming out of the woodwork on this one.


Previous posts are right, it's not in Ryanairs business model. The traffic they could generate out of Cork/Munster from this "field" wouldn't cover the ancillary airfield costs that people don't think of like fire/weather/atc/collection of mountains of cash from the car parks/pooper scooping....

[eoinok]

Lads, I agree with you all. It just would not fit into FR's business plan etc but this is coming from a lady who knows the farmer in question and this is what he was telling her.

So, there is one of two things happeneing.
(a) The farmer is raving
(b) She is lieing

I am just passing on what I was told, after all, this is a rumours forum.

[Atcham Tower]

An airship patrol station was under construction at Killeagh at the end of the First World War and was presumably abandoned. Ryanair Zeppelin routes?They already go to Freidrichshafen ...

[840]

Lads, I agree with you all. It just would not fit into FR's business plan etc but this is coming from a lady who knows the farmer in question and this is what he was telling her.
So, there is one of two things happeneing.
(a) The farmer is raving
(b) She is lieing
I am just passing on what I was told, after all, this is a rumours forum.
Or wires have got crosses somewhere. I could see the potential for a general aviation airfield in Killeagh with possibly some facilities for bizjets, but I can't imagine an entire airport being established there for most of the reasons outlined above.

Certainly, if you were creating an airport from scratch in Cork, Killeagh would be preferable to the current location given its terrain and its location next to the (disused) Cork-Youghal railway line. However, with Cork Airport well-established , but without a large enough passenger throughput to justify a competitor airport, I can't see it happening now.

[eoinok]

840, you have a point alrite. It could be wires getting crossed. It has to be some sort of a private airport effort or something. I will endevour to contact the lady again and get her to double check her story.

Maybe it is me more wanting it to happen than it being realistical feasible. Is the thought of having a stansted style base 10 minutes from my house too much to dream about? :eek:
I was already busy planning my day trips and weekend trip away!!

I even allowed myself for a brief moment to dream of an a380 on finals into Killeagh passing over my house :8

[buzzmebaby]

Stories from elderly country ladies sometimes require a healthy pinch of salt...I'm thinking of one lovely old dear who lives near me relating the arrival of Concorde to celebrate the opening of the 17/35 extension all those years ago (it was an EI 747...).

When I pointed out to her that it couldn't have been Concorde, her reply was innocence itself..."Well, it must have been a small Concorde." !!!

[eoinok]

buzzmebaby, :O re old lady.

This wasn;t a elderly lady either, she is about 30 odd but will get onto her today to try and get her to re check her story.

I dont care anyway, I am going to let the dream of flying on an a380 out of Killeagh international airport direct to Sydney last just a little bit longer for this morning......:)

[buzzmebaby]

Forgive me, didn't mean to impugn her! It just seemed so unlikely that I could imagine my own granny saying it!

[ryan2000]

Maybe it could handle all the biz jets and General Aviation aircraft that Cork routinely turns away even during the winter months . A second Weston perhaps?

Why should Ryanair build an airport when Shannon are paying them to use their facility.

Any such facility capable of handling 737's and A319's would put massive pressure on the foggy boggy airport on the hill and probably get CAT3 installed quickly.

Plenty Cork people willing to fly from Shannon to save a few euro. Ryanair were said to be looking at basing a 2nd 738 at Cork earlier this year but it hasn't happened yet.

[MarkD]

Notionally, an east Cork airport would make a lot of sense. Realistically it doesn't but let's play along.

The rail line from Midleton to Cork is being opened so extending it to Killeagh would not be overly difficult and might justify reopening all the way to Youghal. The N25 is getting better all the time and probably have a better catchment. Little Island business would probably be pleased. It's a lot flatter out that part of the world. However, people who bought houses in Midleton, Castlemartyr, Ballycotton, Killeagh and Youghal would probably be less amused.

I don't think Ryanair as in FR would be anywhere next nor near this. If any Ryan is involved, it's Tony (remember when he bought that Prague airport and everyone was yelling FR). However, it would obviously be the end of ORK as the area can't support two if one is built properly (CAT III, full length taxiway, B744 fully loaded PCN/ACN, A380 compatible taxiways/PCN/ACN for Munster games, terminals that make sense) so that would mean getting the Government to liquidate ORK. Can't see it myself.

[lm06]

as far as i knew when they were picking location for current airport that land out beyond Cobh Cross near Carrigtwohill was a contender (??)
what would be the left side of the road out from the city to midleton.


what about Mallow racecourse smack in the heart of munster....sure didn't they have a test flight out of there by a Gulfstream III in 1980 ! :)

on the train line, half hour from the smoke, 45mins from limerick, easy for the kerrymen too....biiiiig catchment...

[Ryanmurphy]

Even if, as someone posited; a bizjet facility maight be the intention, I'll be happy with that, as long as they cater for GA ;)

Almost as good as my own private airstrip, given that its 5 minutes from my front door...

Provided of course, that it doesn't conform to current Ryanair business practise, or all outgoing Cessnas and Pipers will be obliged to fly banners advertising Hertz Car Rental, and be painted in blue, white, and gold livery :E

[Just a spotter]

That'll have been Killeagh Aerodrome ...

http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0026/D.0026.192810310017.html

http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0023/D.0023.192805020005.html

JAS

[eastjimmy]

Bloody hell ive heard it all now... fantastic rumour though!!!!! did nt realise there was so many east corkonioan out there!!!!
come on russel rovers!!!!
rgs
ej:) :D :ok: :\

[eoinok]

Lads, this has surfaced again down around here..... got an aunt who owns land adjacent to the proposed site........ talking to her on the phone on Friday over another matter and she goes "Oh, did you here they are building an airport down here"
Quizzed her some more and she was able to name the people involved and list of names of land owners who have been approached about allowing (obviously cash transaction will pave the way) a road through their land to it etc etc.
Apparently the biggest stumbling block they are having is getting an exit onto the N22 (killeagh/castlemartyr) road.

I asked "whats it for" and got "not too sure exactly but did hear that Ryanair were interested in locating some offices and a training/maintenace base there"

It is all the talk down around East Cork anyway....

[EI896]

In all honesty I can't see it happening in a billion years not even whne the end of the world ends!!! Lets face it as long as FR are in Cork people are going to travell with them, but Ryanair don't build airports it's not in there buisness plan to. A Cat3 down in East Cork with a full lenth taxiway and able to hold an A380, am I hearing this right? If we were able to hold A380s every man, woman, child and foreign national would be down in Killeagh!!! To see it, listen it's an idea, but I doubt it will never happen. A Stansted in East Cork when did we ever need the demand? And if Ryanair were to leave (which I hope they do) every airline would come back. In all honesty it's just lke the other low-cost airports Ryanair fly into a billion miles away, except for Killeagh if Low-Cost airlines were operating into EICK were would the buisness man go? 6 miles from the city center? or out nearly to waterford?

[EI896]

Just something I forgot to say, Skavsta is advertised for Stockholm when I flew there It took two or three hours to reach Stockholm by bus, if this was the same in Ireland they could advertise for dublin and be in Shannon or advertise for Cork and fly from Galway!!! It's beyond bloody stupid i remember flying out of CDG with Aer Lingus this year and just as we were reaching cruising I could see Beavious below by an odd 36,000ft.