Sharon Corr calls out Ryanair after claims she refused to pay for her violin

Sharon Corr has hit back at Ryanair after it claimed that the musician refused to pay for her violin to board a flight home for rehearsals.

The Corrs star had previously said that she was left “humiliated and angry” and had to return home in Madrid after the budget airline refused to allow her board a flight to Ireland with her violin.

Ms Corr said Ryanair refused to allow her to take her violin on board, but Ryanair said in a statement that the Co Louth native “was not refused” but instead “refused to pay the standard fee and instead chose not to travel on this flight”.

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In a statement on her social media, she responded to Ryanair’s claims, writing: “Tisk, tisk @ryanair ‘This passenger refused to pay the standard fee NOTE standard gate baggage fee to place it in the hold of the aircraft ) and instead chose not to travel on this flight’. – IS NOT FACTUAL: I offered to buy a seat for my violin and was refused!

“You cannot place a violin in the hold as obviously it is a fragile instrument. I was refused by them to travel,” she said.

A row between Ms Corr and Ryanair erupted late on Sunday night when she aired her frustrations about the airline to her 62,000 Instagram followers, saying: “Today I was booked on a @ryanair flight I got up at 6 in the morning I was not allowed on the flight because I had my violin, I was in the airport for 7 hrs I had to return home after searching for my checked in bags.

“Humiliated, angry then crying as only a good woman can do. Why was I going to Dublin? My home turf, to rehearse, to go on tour! I’m beyond disappointed. Michael O’Leary, shame one you.”

On Monday, Ryanair responded, saying: “This passenger was not refused travel from Madrid to Dublin (30 Jun). This passenger’s violin exceeded the cabin bag dimensions permitted for her flight, and therefore was required to pay a standard gate baggage fee to place it in the hold of the aircraft. This passenger refused to pay the standard fee and instead chose not to travel on this flight.”

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