Watch: 'This is the best Christmas present ever': Tears of joy at Cork Airport's arrivals
Grandson Her Cork At After Airport Larry Arriving Picture: Hugs Godmother Matias Iza Marcel Cummins
“This is the best Christmas present ever,” Siobhán Howarth said as her daughter Sarah arrived into Cork Airport.
‘Welcome home’ balloons bobbed above people’s heads, and bouquets of flowers were gripped tightly by expectant hands as the Cork Light Orchestra played Christmas carols in the buzzing arrivals hall.
“It feels great [to be back]. I’ve been waiting all week for this moment. I’m so excited to see family, it’s very special,” Sarah Howarth said when she arrived into Cork from Amsterdam. “When I was walking out and I heard the band, it was like being in a movie.”
Zoe the dog waited patiently in her sister Rebecca Howarth’s arms, who had just arrived home from Dubai last week and was at the airport with her mum to welcome her sister and bring her home to Rosscarberry.
“We’ve been counting down the hours,” Rebecca said. “I wasn’t home last year so it’s the first time in two years that we’ve all been able to get back.”
Sarah said:
“Christmas can start now!” Owen Cashman held a sign adorned with snowmen and Santa Clauses to welcome sister Louise Cashman and her boyfriend, Ryan O’Sullivan-Glynn back from Vietnam for the holidays.
“They couldn’t make it back for Christmas last year. They’re teaching in Ho Chi Minh city and have another year on their contracts. We’re all big rugby fans so we’re going to Limerick for the Munster match. It will be good for Mum and Dad to have everyone back together.”
Kevin McCluskey was at Cork Airport to welcome his son Peter back from teaching in a school and volunteering with Tír Na Nóg Children’s Foundation orphanage in Tanzania.
Peter, a primary school teacher on a career break, bought guitars for the children there to teach them music. He hopes to move to Zambia to teach at Easter.
Kevin met his wife, Peter’s mother, while he was teaching in Zambia and she was working as a nurse.
“We were there with the same organisation but she was 200 miles away. But the town I was in had a hospital so she would come if they had a very ill patient and she’d come to collect supplies once a month. Hopefully, we can go back to visit together if Peter goes.”
Some 135,000 people will fly into and out of Cork Airport between December 20 and January 6.
Niall McCarthy, Managing Director of Cork Airport said that despite some international delays, with weather warnings in the US and strikes in the UK, “people are getting home” through Cork Airport.
Barry Holland, communications manager with Cork Airport, said that staff at the airport make great personal efforts to make sure people have a pleasant a trip.
“There’s a real personal touch here. Staff go above and beyond to help make people’s journeys as stress-free as possible. I think people really started to appreciate what they had in Cork Airport with all the hassle in other airports over the summer.
“It’s amazing to see people travelling long distance – from Australia, the US, the Middle East - and arrive back into Cork Airport via London Heathrow or Amsterdam. For anyone living in the city it’s just a short skip down the road and they’re home.”
Cork Airport will be closed for the first time in 10 years this Christmas Day as it no longer needs to service helicopters bringing food and crew to the now decommissioned gas rigs although some security will still be on duty.
Dressed in a Christmas jumper and Santa hat, Orla Heffernan was collecting her son Ross from Amsterdam to bring him home to Limerick.
“At least he’s only a few hours away, when my daughter was in Australia that was very tough. But everyone’s back for Christmas now,” she said.
Despite train strikes in the UK, many people arrived in on early morning flights from London and Newcastle, with some leaving home at 3am to make it to the airport and get through security on time.
Arabella O’Sullivan and her son Mathew from Carrigtwohill were waiting to greet their daughter and sister Ciara who was arriving home from London.
“We’re excited to see her! She only moved to London about two weeks ago so she hasn’t been gone long. It was lucky that Christmas came so soon.”
Linda McCarthy was welcoming her daughter Shauna and boyfriend Phillip Murch who was spending his first Christmas in Ireland with the McCarthy family.
“A lot has gone on over the last year so I’m very happy to have them home and I’m very happy to welcome Phillip into our family.” The couple are West End theatre managers in London with Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, a theatre group owned by British theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh.
“We’re going to spend every minute together. Eat. Drink and be merry!" Linda said.
Tomas Matias was with his son Marcel at Cork airport on a secret mission to surprise Marcel’s mum. They came to collect her sister from Poland for a surprise Christmas visit.
“She’ll kill me,” Tomas said. “She’ll say ‘the house isn’t ready!’ But it is. She has not seen her sister since the summer time so when we bring her home she’ll be shocked but very happy.”
Doireann and her mum Kate Cuddy were at the airport to collect Doireann’s Australian friend Abby Forkin for the holidays.
They met while living in Valencia, Spain, earlier this year. Abby then returned to her home in Australia but when she recently moved to Newcastle, the Cuddy’s invited her to spend Christmas with them.
“Abby was a good friend to Doireann in Valencia so we’re very happy to welcome her here for Christmas,” Kate said.
Edel Roche also arrived from Newcastle and was greeted by parents Kieran and Celine. She recently moved there from London to work in a paediatric ICU unit in the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
Care is too critical in the paediatric ICU unit so she and her colleagues could not strike but she supports her colleagues who did.
“In 10 years there will be no more nurses to care for the sick and dying because conditions are so poor,” she said. “Something has to change. Understaffing is s problem, insufficient breaks while wearing full PPE on 12 hour-shifts is a problem.
"Hopefully the Government will appreciate the work we do and improve conditions for nurses.”
Fellow nurse Kelly Ansboro arrived from London and was greeted by her mum Nora. She said that the hospital she works in did not join the recent UK nursing strikes as more than 50% of staff had to vote for strike action.
“There’s little hope of Government meeting nurses demands – they don’t care. But there are bad staffing problems. And there has been a massive rise in admissions of children to our hospital with illnesses like RSV, flu season started in June this year – it usually starts in October/November.”
The Ansboros will have 17 people for dinner on Christmas day. “We don’t get her home every year so we have to celebrate,” Nora said.
Karolina Galecka from Mallow and her two-year-old daughter Naomi were waiting for Karolina’s father and brother to arrive from Gdansk in Poland.
“I last saw them one year ago. I’m very happy and excited,” she said. “We’ll have a traditional Polish Christmas with presents on December 24 and a lot of fish for Christmas dinner.”
Trumpeter with the Cork Light Orchestra Kevin Dwyer said that playing at Cork Airport at Christmas is “one of the most fun gigs of the year.” “But one of the hardest things is blowing the trumpet when you see parents hugging their children or grandchildren. It’s very emotional,” he said.