Calls for dedicated flights to bring Cork fans to Dublin for All-Ireland 

With public transport options heavily booked ahead of this weekend’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final between Cork and Clare, a Cork TD has suggested that dedicated charter flights could be used to get fans to the capital. 

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould said that scheduling flights from Cork Airport to Dublin Airport for the All-Ireland final clash between Cork and Clare would ensure more fans would be able to travel to the match as all buses and trains from Cork are now heavily booked. 

He also raised concerns about the “huge amount” of cars that will be travelling to Dublin on the M8 on match day and said he has written to both Minister Eamon Ryan and TII requesting them to open the M7-M8 toll to ease traffic backlog.

‘Fever-pitch’

“I’ve never before seen the excitement and the anticipation and the amount of people that are going to this All-Ireland. 

“It’s like fever pitch, the amount of people ringing looking for tickets for the match and tickets for the train – the rush for tickets and to get to the game,” he said.

Mr Gould said it would be possible to operate charter flights for such occasions and said he has written to the daa.

“There’s a flight from Kerry to Dublin. Why is there not a flight from Cork to Dublin? This is a suggestion. I’m putting forward ideas because I’m talking to people all week who can’t get a train or bus ticket and the cost of travelling to Dublin is very high,” he said.

“With no additional buses and very few additional trains, we’re going to see the roads jammed on Sunday morning.

“And if they’re not going to do flights this weekend, I think a flight from Cork to Dublin long-term should be looked at.” 

Cork Airport ‘always ready’ to facilitate flights 

In a statement issued to The Echo by Cork Airport, it said that while it is always ready to facilitate ad hoc charter flights, that it may prove unrealistic for airlines.

“Any consideration to operate a charter flight between Cork and Dublin this weekend is a commercial decision for the airline(s) involved. 

“Cork Airport is always ready to facilitate ad hoc charter flights, but it may prove unrealistic for the airlines given they are well into the peak of the very busy summer season with a full deployment of their aircraft on scheduled services.

“Cork Airport wishes the team and the thousands of fans travelling by all modes of transport the very best in their efforts to bring the Liam MacCarthy home to Leeside this weekend,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Aer Lingus said it would “unfortunately be unable to operate such a route on a one-off basis”.

“Aer Lingus does not operate any flights between Cork and Dublin and would unfortunately be unable to operate such a route on a one-off basis. However, Aer Lingus wishes all Cork and Clare fans travelling to Croke Park for the All-Ireland Final a safe and pleasant journey,” the spokesperson said.

Ryanair was also contacted for comment.