Shannon doesn't have an Amsterdam service or Knock doesn't have connectivity to a major Hub. Yet no one is asking them to throw in the towel or to stop having fantasys about securing them in the future.
Shannon in County Clare has 6 transatlantic flights a day in the Summer Season. Logic Seldom applies in Irish Aviation but on that basis, Cork should surely be able to support a 757 service 3 times per week.
I know the excuse about lack of pre-customs clearance is now being put forward as a successor to the one about the stopover but that doesn't stop thousands of people from flying to the US through LHR each year.
Ryan, I think if we put together those who connect via LHR, AMS and CDG we would come up with the figures to support say as you say, a three weekly T/A service. However there is one fundamental thing blocking it, airlines. For example if United Airlines were being offered no charges for say 2yrs to operate a 3x weekly service, they would see no benefit - as there management there could see, why do we need to add this 3x weekly demand to Cork if we could just ramp up demand via Shannon and have a total of 2x daily flights, further supporting existing demand and creating further opportunities for demand from the South (Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Offaly, Galway etc). I believe this is is there logical thought, as for example, Aer Lingus have a spare weekly service which they could operate from Cork next Summer, but they choose to use it as a slot for schedule integrity - Thus see no point in taking a gamble at Cork.
My overall point is, we need to formost secure our existing future. To help existing airlines to achieve profit, to help them create further opportunities before we continue in this existing bubble of thinking we need to every year chase US airlines to create a US bound route ex-Cork, for example Aer Lingus see reality and thus realise there is no point in oversupplying choice, but increasing existing services to support overall demand and yields.