Ireland West Airport were delighted to welcome Ryanair’s 10 millionth passenger on flights to/from Knock on Tuesday last.

Gráinne Rushe from Boyle, Co Roscommon, who was travelling to Lanzarote with her partner Tadhg McKenna, was the lucky 10 millionth Ryanair passenger and to mark the occasion was presented with a pair of return flights with Ryanair and a bottle of Champagne and chocolates.

Gráinne Rushe (left of centre) from Boyle, Co Roscommon, who was travelling to Lanzarote with her partner Tadhg McKenna, was the lucky 10 millionth Ryanair passenger and to mark the occasion was presented with a pair of return flights with Ryanair and a bottle of Champagne and chocolates.

It’s been 37 years since Ryanair’s first flight from then Knock Airport departed to London Luton on December 16th 1986 and at the time the west of Ireland gained its first direct link with London when the Ryanair 748 aircraft ‘The Spirit of Monsignor Horan’ landed in Knock Airport, heralding the start of scheduled services between the airport and London. Named after Monsignor James Horan, the visionary priest behind Knock Airport the 44 seat turbo-prop aircraft was formally blessed by Monsignor Horan’s successor Fr Dominick Grealy.

The first passengers to disembark that first flight in 1986 included six-year-old Davinia Paul, who was heading to Boyle for Christmas. 37 years later the 10 millionth passenger to travel on a Ryanair service from the airport also happens to come from Boyle in Co Roscommon!