An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-28 ============================================================ Mark Duffy (FG), Labour Panel I would also like to acknowledge and welcome the Swedish ambassador to the House. Today I would like to highlight the 40th anniversary of Knock Airport in my home county of Mayo. This is an incredible milestone for what was snubbed as the "foggy boggy runway" when it was first proposed to be built. However, Monsignor James Horan had the vision to light that spark in the west and to have the faith to see through what many people dismissed as a project that could not be done. He famously said, "They said it couldn't be done", as he stood at Knock Airport as the first flight took off. Sadly, he passed away on the first pilgrimage to Lourdes later that year in 1986. However, the airport has gone from strength to strength since it opened 40 years ago. My own family had land and bog turbary rights around the area of Kilgariff, Barnalyra and Barnacahoge. We have strong family ties to the area. As Mayo people, and as people across the west, we are extremely proud of Knock Airport. Approximately 1 million passengers travel through it every year. It is a beacon for the whole west of Ireland. We all celebrate and enjoy how easy it is to park up and get through security. The airport connects people with destinations throughout the world. The airport was built on the back of faith and vision, and support from communities right across the country, provided through dance halls and jumbo draws. Support from the diaspora around the world, and in particular in America, helped to realise the vision that woke the west. I acknowledge that and pay tribute to it on the occasion of the 40th anniversary celebrations, which will take place this evening. I remember the late Monsignor James Horan and all that went before to make the airport a reality that we all enjoy. We sometimes take it for granted. I acknowledge the Government investment to continue to support the airport. It is such a vital link. Many people use it to commute. They live in the west and commute for work every week. It links our diaspora in the UK and across Europe, as well as connecting us through business. Importantly, the pilgrims who still travel to Knock benefit from the airport. The airport welcomed Pope Francis and President Biden in recent years. Please God, we will have more high-profile visitors coming through it in the coming years. I acknowledge Mr. Joe Gilmore, the chief executive, and Mr. Arthur French, who is the chairman of Knock Airport. I wish them well with the celebrations. Here is to the next 40 years of Knock Airport. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-28/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:01+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-05-28