Cork Airport forecasting bumper St Patrick's holiday

CORK Airport has forecast a bumper St Patrick’s holiday, with more than 26,000 passengers expected to travel through the airport from March 16-20.

More than 5,000 passengers are expected to travel through the airport on Sunday alone.

With the addition of an extra bank holiday and the return of horse-racing enthusiasts travelling to and from the Cheltenham Festival, Cork Airport said it would experience its busiest St Patrick’s holiday in three years.

It comes just weeks after all Covid-19 travel restrictions for Ireland were removed.

Cork Airport said the St Patrick’s holiday would be a strong start to what it expected would be a busy number of weeks at Ireland’s second-busiest airport.

With the commencement of the 2022 summer schedule on March 27, there will be a total of 41 routes from Cork Airport on offer this summer.

Commenting on the St Patrick’s bank holiday passenger figures and looking ahead to the summer, Cork Airport managing director Niall MacCarthy said: “St Patrick’s weekend and particularly the Easter bank holiday weekend which follows, traditionally kicks of the busy aviation summer period.”

“After two long years of Covid-19, people want to get travelling and Cork Airport staff are ready and waiting with our famous ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ for passengers.” 

On Wednesday, as passengers arrive in advance of the national holiday, Cork Airport will host a special performance of traditional Irish music by Newcestown Comhaltas in the Arrivals Hall.

It comes ahead of the Cork's St Patrick's Day parade on March 17, organised by Cork City Council.

Beginning at 1pm on South Mall, the parade will travel via Grand Parade, St Patrick’s Street and will culminate at the western end of Merchant’s Quay at approximately 3pm.

According to Cork City Council, the parade will attract up to 50,000 spectators.

Groups from across the city and county are preparing to take part in this year's event including Cork Community Art Link who say they will be presenting a "spectacular display of craftsmanship, street arts and performance" at the parade this St Patrick’s Day which will feature "a huge articulated granny and a mechanised, piloted biplane"

The group said its performance has been inspired and informed by Cork City Council's theme for the parade - "everyday heroes in extraordinary times."

"The concept of creating a giant float of an eldery woman is based on the idea of taking the great matriarchal grandmother as our hero. She is a woman who has survived the many challenges and difficulties life has thrown at her with a strong sense of humour and a tough outer shell.

"The biplane represents the freedom and travel that have been denied to us for the past couple of years with Covid. Taking the plane out onto the streets and operating it is a sign of renewal and moving forward, bringing forth possibilities and much-needed glimpses of more joyous and adventurous days ahead."