Stranded in Dubai: Cork hurling official caught in Middle East crisis

A highly-regarded Cork GAA referee is stranded in Dubai after his flight to Ireland was cancelled because of the air-strikes across the Middle East.

Newcestown native Shane Scanlon was in Dubai to officiate at the Middle East GAA hurling league finals which took place last weekend in the United Arab Emirates.

The son of C103 radio GAA reporter Michael Scanlon, Shane told The Echo that the tournament had concluded on Saturday when a loud bang was heard overhead.

This subsequently saw the UAE ministry of interior advise residents and visitors to seek shelter indoors due to the potential threat from incoming missiles.

Mr Scanlon described what the last few days have been like in Dubai in what is an ever-changing situation.

“On Saturday night once all this uncertainty started kicking off, I think people were very fearful of actually going outside.

“Sunday, the day after, people definitely kept to themselves. We just stayed to ourselves in the hotel and didn’t do much, because the advice we were getting was to stay put.

“Definitely Monday and more so today (Tuesday), it is like life is normal.”

He added: “I think now it is more just the uncertainty with what is going to happen with the flights and what is going to happen with the airspace.”

Innishannon native Tara Gilli, who is currently working as a teacher in Dubai, told The Echo that the last few days have been ‘surreal’.

“I was out playing a camogie tournament on Saturday with hundreds of Irish people. Instead of celebrating, we were told over a mic to get inside and take shelter.

“At this stage we are kind of getting used to the constant banging. But we are barely sleeping. Yesterday we were on the sofa until 3am, trying to keep calm and keep updated.

“We are trying to believe only what is being said from the Irish embassy and real news sources,” she said.

“If I could put Saturday into one word, it was the scariest day of my life,” said Sophie O’Hare from Blarney, who is also teaching in Dubai.

“I never thought that I would experience such a day. It was when the missiles started flying over – that was our first indicator of everything happening.

“I was here by myself for the day, so I was absolutely petrified. It was the continuous banging and every little move that you make, just getting a fright, thinking it was something.”

As to what happens next, Ms O’Hare added: “Every morning, we are waking up and seeing what happens, straight away onto our phones to see the news.

“I know that for my mother, she is desperate for us to get home. But obviously the airspace is closed, so we really can’t go anywhere.”

Cormac Sheedy, a Cork native who has been living in Dubai for 23 years, working in consultancy, said he is genuinely shocked by what has happened. “We are also shocked by how quickly the whole thing has escalated.

“We were with friends on Friday night and there was absolutely no sense in Dubai whatsoever of anything that was to come.

“Yet by Saturday morning, we were hearing loud explosions around the city.”