Midlands International Airport: Good idea or not?

veryangryman

I am delighted that this is seeing the light of day. The more excuses i have for avoiding trips to Dublin, the better

Roll on airport. FF - you may actually get my vote after all. And you can quote me on that

These regional airports (Knock, Galway, Sligo, Kerry, Donegal) go to very few locations so i wouldnt even count them as proper airports. If midlands had something along those lines, it would hardly be a scandal

Lads i know that practically every one of you disagrees with me from your posts, but i also know that practically every one of your lives in Dublin. Sadly boards is disproportionatly dominated by Dubs and/or Dublin commuters.

Can we get Opinions of people living 50 + miles from the city? Id like a balanced argument here

Amtmann

Not me, look at my locations. Mysterious is quite correct: this is nothing but narrow parochialism on a regional scale. The obsession with the "locality" and the "region" in Ireland really is quite sickening in some respects.

mysterious

mysterious wrote: »

I nominate this thread the most dysfunctional thread of the year award.

Perhaps it belongs in the tCN so..

force eleven

Well, I live at a location actually overlooking the (proposed) site near Tubber. Its a nice quiet area, lots of boggy marshy ground in between Moate and Clara - personally I don't want to see all that destroyed. Its a white elephant really - yes it's relatively near the new Motorway, but precious little else - Tullamore and Athlone are both about a dozen miles away and as for electricity, sewage etc - non existent at the moment. No hotels to speak of either. Plus its a stones throw from Cowens home town, so need I say more?
The landowners here are dancing round the place dreaming of gleaming new 4 x 4's on the back of any deal that may happen, but in reality - even given an argument for jobs etc - do you really think it's going to happen this side of 2020? I definitely doubt it.

invincibleirish

veryangryman wrote: »

I am delighted that this is seeing the light of day. The more excuses i have for avoiding trips to Dublin, the better

Roll on airport. FF - you may actually get my vote after all. And you can quote me on that

These regional airports (Knock, Galway, Sligo, Kerry, Donegal) go to very few locations so i wouldnt even count them as proper airports. If midlands had something along those lines, it would hardly be a scandal

Lads i know that practically every one of you disagrees with me from your posts, but i also know that practically every one of your lives in Dublin. Sadly boards is disproportionatly dominated by Dubs and/or Dublin commuters.

Can we get Opinions of people living 50 + miles from the city? Id like a balanced argument here

Gombeen Ireland lives on.

#edit# live 300km from Dublin, if the Midlands gets an airport then i'll be demanding a West Cork International Airport from my Drink sodden local FF TD.

Ireland's infrastructure always reminds me of a kidney, everything routes to one place!



Just look at where Dublin is

Schuhart

veryangryman wrote: »

Roll on airport. FF - you may actually get my vote after all. And you can quote me on that

Would you be voting for one of these guys?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3elLmrCmOqo

veryangryman wrote: »

Can we get Opinions of people living 50 + miles from the city? Id like a balanced argument here

You seemed to get what you want. Can we get a reaction shot?

mysterious

If this was in a European forum

It would be best suit for comedy forum.


I think every county in Ireland should have it's own Airport, despite been such a ****ing small country. I think its funny, might get a laugh out of this.

WE HAVE ENOUGH AIRPORTS IN THIS COUTRY.. GET THE FUP OVER IT.

veryangryman

invincibleirish wrote: »

Gombeen Ireland lives on.

#edit# live 300km from Dublin, if the Midlands gets an airport then i'll be demanding a West Cork International Airport from my Drink sodden local FF TD.

You live within 50 miles of a decent sized airport. Anyone living near Shannon - same story.

Amtmann

veryangryman wrote: »

You live within 50 miles of a decent sized airport. Anyone living near Shannon - same story.

So we should have a decent sized airport every fifty miles? If it's that important to you, maybe you should move closer to it, rather than have it move closer to you.

mysterious

Furet wrote: »

So we should have a decent sized airport every fifty miles? If it's that important to you, maybe you should move closer to it, rather than have it move closer to you.

Furet that wouldn't be enough. Sure if he wants the airport closer,

Heck he should move all the countries he wants to visit closer to his house.


I just do not understand this regional obsession to have every facility beside your bungalow. Its just not reality.

Some people on this thread have lost their minds. Irelands has plenty of internation airports. Look at the Uk there only international Airports in cities with populations bigger than Belfast.

Yet places like Tullumore wants its own international Airport. Can some mod put this into the humour forum please.

mysterious

veryangryman wrote: »

You live within 50 miles of a decent sized airport. Anyone living near Shannon - same story.

Buy a plane!! and build your own runway.

If this issue has taken up much pain out of your life.

P.S what if you live 51 miles? way should they move the airport a mile in?

veryangryman

mysterious wrote: »

Look at the Uk .

.

No - if you want to talk about gombeen politics, then why do you only consider something a good idea if the UK are doing it? Have you ever heard of the phrase "maverick"? By actually using some initiative and saying "f you" to all the critics, the government is actually showing some balls here.

No amount of disagreements or mockery on this thread will change my opinion on that.

mysterious wrote: »

there only international Airports in cities with populations bigger than Belfast

.

If we must look at the UK, can we at least use some proper grammar. Incidentally, Derry and Belfast (2) have airports.

And before you mention that you were referring to UK mainland, so has Doncaster, Newquay and Nottingham. Probably more.

In any case, i am delighted with this decision because it will stick a strong middle finger to people who think that we should live on a breadcrumb lifestyle outside of the smoke. :cool: Finally something decent is being done with my taxes

invincibleirish

veryangryman wrote: »

You live within 50 miles of a decent sized airport. Anyone living near Shannon - same story.

I was taking the pis. Shannon/Dublin/Galway/Knock are all well within your radius, you don't need another airport. Stop showing gombeen tendencies and click in your head that a Midlands airport will just be another white elephant. Your Country is more important then your county and ease of convenience.

paulm17781

I think let Tullamore build it's own airport. However they must raise the cash themselves with no amount of it coming from Dublin (other than taxes Tullamore raised itself). If it can do that, it deserves an airport. Otherwise, stop living in fantasy land.

mysterious

veryangryman wrote: »

No - if you want to talk about gombeen politics, then why do you only consider something a good idea if the UK are doing it? Have you ever heard of the phrase "maverick"? By actually using some initiative and saying "f you" to all the critics, the government is actually showing some balls here.

The UK don't build airports in
towns the size of 15,000 or counties less than will serve 100,000. We are talking about building an international Airport in the midlands. If something like this was proposed in Westminister, they'd smoke weed to keep up with the high of the joke.

Give this crap over. :rolleyes:

No amount of disagreements or mockery on this thread will change my opinion on that.

Well people are getting a laugh over your own mockery. I mean seriously.

It's actually extraordinary.
You want an airport you raise the cash. See if you change your mind then:D

If we must look at the UK, can we at least use some proper grammar. Incidentally, Derry and Belfast (2) have airports.

Oh veryangryman is getting angry. Belfast has a population of 300,000 and a metropolitian population of nearly one million within a 30mile radius. This is why the airport was built there, not because some angry local wanted an airport built in his backyard.

Tullamore, Mullingar, Athlone put together is still less than half of Derry.
Derry serves the entire North west of Ireland and including the city.

The airport of Derry is not an international airport. Get with the facts.

And before you mention that you were referring to UK mainland, so has Doncaster, Newquay and Nottingham. Probably more.

Newquay has a local airport about the size of my en suite, because it's in on the far south western tip of Cornwall. It's isolated. An airport of this type is warrented.

Newquay is about 100km from the nearest international airport, and that would be bristol. Bristol is like Shannon a small international airport.

Notthingham airport, servers the entire east midlands, including Derby and Lecesiter. this has a combined population catchment of well over a million. So your argument for Tullamore getting it's own international airport. Is really going down the potty at this stage.

In any case, i am delighted with this decision because it will stick a strong middle finger to people who think that we should live on a breadcrumb lifestyle outside of the smoke. :cool: Finally something decent is being done with my taxes

LMFAO
You are still getting mad that you don't have your airport. What next you want a convention centre too. I'm sorry to say, but these kind of demands that your asking for are always centred around populations centres of at least 200,000 or more. Its a fact of life, that rural areas will never attract huge investment, or have gleaming airports and huge stadiums. Why is this, because the rurul areas don't have the population to attract these type of thngs

Do you actually understand the basics?

It won't go ahead, and it won't work. it won't attract air traffic, traffic at Cork and Shannon has eased considerably. With the expansion of Dublin Airport and new terminal of Cork. Do you actually think people are going to travel to Tullamore and the stay in bogs of Allen instead.

Give me a break, with your gobeen local politics.

Schuhart

veryangryman wrote: »

In any case, i am delighted with this decision because it will stick a strong middle finger to people who think that we should live on a breadcrumb lifestyle outside of the smoke.

Well, if you're living a "breadcrumb lifestyle", whatever that is, I'd guess its simply a consequence of living in the place you've decided to live in. I mean, if you want to live in a city with an airport that isn't Dublin, try Cork.

I rather think that's the point. If you want to live in rural area or a small town, then live in Offaly. If you're not happy with that, then wtf are you doing there? The idea that every corner of the country will have exactly the same features and facilities is just daft.

veryangryman wrote: »

Finally something decent is being done with my taxes

If you live in Offaly, your taxes never leave the county, as is clear from page 7 of this CSO release. Collectively, Offaly households pay €280 million in tax but receive €305 million in social transfers.

So if you want to know where your taxes go, just look around you. Incidently, do you think that's a decent use of the net €25 million that comes from outside the county?

Alternatively, would you ever envisage that it would be possible for you to lose any attachment to your county as the basis for your identity, and see yourself as Irish instead?

paulm17781 wrote: »

I think let Tullamore build it's own airport.

Are we clear that this proposal is actually getting any central government funding? I thought it was just a step ahead of being a pipe dream.

mysterious

Schuhart wrote: »

Well, if you're living a "breadcrumb lifestyle", whatever that is, I'd guess its simply a consequence of living in the place you've decided to live in. I mean, if you want to live in a city with an airport that isn't Dublin, try Cork.

I rather think that's the point. If you want to live in rural area or a small town, then live in Offaly. If you're not happy with that, then wtf are you doing there? The idea that every corner of the country will have exactly the same features and facilities is just daft.

Veryangryman did your read that.:D

So yaah you live in a rural area with trees and green meadow and you demand an airport ROFL.

and what is this breadcrumb lifestyle.


I'm actually laughing. This should be in the humour forum:D

veryangryman

Im sorry but you guys fail to see the bigger picture

An airport at Horseleap will serve all of the following counties

Offaly
Westmeath
Meath
Longford
Cavan
West Galway
South Roscommon

And would obviously accomadate those from further affield who wish to use it. Perhaps even as far as Lucan/Leixlip.

And would involve less than an hours drive to the airport. Nobody in the midlands is asking for one on their own doorstep - they are simply asking for a reasonable way out of the country that dont involve 90 mins-2 hours drive. The West i overcrowded with airports. The East has 3 ports including Rosslare and the South has another 3 airports plus a port. One small airport in the midlands is not unreasonable. Incidentally, I am more behind my Region than my county. The counties listed above would all benefit. As would the nation with the capital city that little bit less of a sardine can as a result.

Don't encourage people to move to the big cities - this is a ridiculous idea. If you guys want to spend half your day queuing in traffic, ATMs, restarants and bars then so be it.

Just because we are in a recession does not mean that we have to curl up into the foetal position and shiver our way through it. Pushing everything back to the overcrowded cities is a daft idea IMO. Every poor bast@rd will have to move to Dublin (or Cork/Galway/Limerick) and tolerate the queues, the crime and the BS from the passing scangers, along with either a long commute, or no change for his fiver when he goes for a pint.

Do we want this? i don't think so. But then, what do i know? I only do gombeen politics me.. :rolleyes:

Cosmo K

veryangryman wrote: »

The East has 3 ports including Rosslare and the South has another 3 airports plus a port.

So whats next on your wishlist? A ferry port for Mullingar?

veryangryman

Cosmo K wrote: »

So whats next on your wishlist? A ferry port for Mullingar?

Very droll. Very droll indeed. :rolleyes:

markpb

veryangryman wrote: »

Don't encourage people to move to the big cities - this is a ridiculous idea. If you guys want to spend half your day queuing in traffic, ATMs, restarants and bars then so be it.

No-one is saying everyone must move to a city. What they're saying is that there are pros and cons to both city and country life. In the country, there is more space, less pollution, smaller queues and things are generally cheaper. However, the lowest density of population means some services aren't available, forcing you to drive to a city.

In cities, these is less space, more queues, more pollution but, because of increased densities, more services are available locally. Airports are just one of those. Large shops, theatres/festivals and mass transport are other examples.

An airport, especially an international airport, is a very expensive service and requires a large number of customers to pay for it. Building an airport in the midlands serving a combined population of less than half a million isn't cost effective. If it is built, there won't be the demand for flights so there won't be a great selection of flights, forcing people to travel to Dublin or Cork anyway. This is why all the airports on the west are facing financial problems - not enough people means not enough flights. The airport market is too dilluted to be viable.

Wouldn't you agree that it would be better to have a small number of well served airports which are well connected by motorway and high speed rail?

Typewriter

This is true. Waterford airport costs more than twice as much to fly out of than Cork or Dublin and even then you can only fly to places in Britain and Ireland and 1 flight to Amsterdam.

I have a sister that lives in London and when ever she flys back she go's to Cork or Dublin then gets the bus/train. It saves her a fortune.

(P.S. Our family home is in Dunmore East, Co. Waterford. The airport is about 1 mile away from it.)

EDIT: Plus the closest airport to London is 'London Luton', which isn't in London it's in Luton!!! Same distance travelling distance from Cork to Waterford.

This scenario would be the same for any Midlands airport if not worse.

veryangryman

markpb wrote: »

Wouldn't you agree that it would be better to have a small number of well served airports which are well connected by motorway and high speed rail?

It would but....

We dont have that sort of infrastructure and never will in my lifetime. Have you seen the amount of effort it takes to get Irish Rail to develop new tracks? Roads outside of Dublin routes (i include the western corridoor here) are still poor in a number of places (been through Crusheen lately?) Also bus rail and even roads to the airports available are currently brutal at best. I realise that things are improving, but not at the speed necessary to make any real difference to the country.

Knock airport has done marvellous things to the west and Connaught. I think that Horseleap could yet do similar for midlands, especially if made a proper international airport.

Come to think of it...Ryanair will probably shelve Dublin Airport for this cheaper facility, similar to the way they fly to airports 50+ miles from major cities. Thus more routes will be served from this new place

This is actually a better idea than i first thought. Roll on 2012

mysterious

veryangryman wrote: »

Im sorry but you guys fail to see the bigger picture

No it's you who fails to see the picture

It's daft.

An airport at Horseleap will serve all of the following counties

Offaly
Westmeath
Meath

Longford
Cavan
West Galway
South Roscommon

I'm surprised you didn't mention Donegal there:rolleyes:

Knock serves, West Galway
Longford
South Roscommon.

You mentioned Cavan too, it would be quicker to Go via Dublin than go cross country to a fantasy Airport in Horsleep.

So you either want an Airport to be built or another one such as Knock to close, or other airports to suffer as the expense of this airport.

Conclusion, there isn't a demand for another airport on this Island FACT.

This argument is one of the most idiotic I've ever come acrros in my life.

And would obviously accomadate those from further affield who wish to use it. Perhaps even as far as Lucan/Leixlip.

You didnt mention Dingle or Antrim in this?

And would involve less than an hours drive to the airport. Nobody in the midlands is asking for one on their own doorstep - they are simply asking for a reasonable way out of the country that dont involve 90 mins-2 hours drive. The West i overcrowded with airports. The East has 3 ports including Rosslare and the South has another 3 airports plus a port. One small airport in the midlands is not unreasonable. Incidentally, I am more behind my Region than my county. The counties listed above would all benefit. As would the nation with the capital city that little bit less of a sardine can as a result.

driving 50 minutes to the nearest Airport is the norm in other countries. In Bigger countries you could be travelling hours.

You my friend is living in fantasy.

Just because we are in a recession does not mean that we have to curl up into the foetal position and shiver our way through it. Pushing everything back to the overcrowded cities is a daft idea IMO. Every poor bast@rd will have to move to Dublin (or Cork/Galway/Limerick) and tolerate the queues, the crime and the BS from the passing scangers, along with either a long commute, or no change for his fiver when he goes for a pint.

But your asking a for a rural life with city facilities, its delusional and not reality.

force eleven

I notice that the consortium behind this is registered as Midland Airport Development (Ltd) MAD for short....

If this thing gets permission - I'll be moving, it's a completely unnecessary infrastructaral project. Who exactly is going to fund all this ? Manchester City Football Club?

Schuhart

veryangryman wrote: »

An airport at Horseleap will serve all of the following counties

Like Mysterious, I’d point to a bigger picture, in a context where there’s an hourly bus service from Galway city to Dublin Airport and Knock and Shannon are gutting each other for business. I’ve posted elsewhere about the map Shannon produced which suggests that its catchment goes as far as Edenderry. That might be ludicrous, but I think it’s a hint that your inclusion of places like Galway just isn’t realistic.

veryangryman wrote: »

Every poor bast@rd will have to move to Dublin (or Cork/Galway/Limerick) and tolerate the queues, the crime and the BS from the passing scangers, along with either a long commute, or no change for his fiver when he goes for a pint.

But, as you’ll hopefully be picking up, effectively what you are saying is “I don’t want to move to filthy, skanger-ridden, overcrowded dumps like Cork, Galway and Limerick. What I want is to turn Tullamore into a filthy, skanger-ridden, overcrowded dump. Our skangers could be the finest in Ireland, given the chance. They have been denied their birthright for too long.”

veryangryman wrote: »

We dont have that sort of infrastructure and never will in my lifetime. Have you seen the amount of effort it takes to get Irish Rail to develop new tracks? Roads outside of Dublin routes (i include the western corridoor here) are still poor in a number of places (been through Crusheen lately?) Also bus rail and even roads to the airports available are currently brutal at best. I realise that things are improving, but not at the speed necessary to make any real difference to the country.

I actually don’t agree its as bleak as you say. I know many roads in Mayo, for the sake of argument, are very much fit for purpose. To an extent, this is what has enabled people to build one-off houses all over the countryside while commuting by car to the nearest city. (Note: I’m not saying this doesn’t cause traffic problems – just that without reasonable roads it would not be feasible at all).

But reflect on your own logic. If the transport network is as bad as you say, how is anyone going to get to an airport in Horseleap?

veryangryman wrote: »

Knock airport has done marvellous things to the west and Connaught.

Not really. Mayo has about 2% of national population. Knock accounts for about 2% of national air traffic. So Knock does alright, sort of. Knock’s success is not so much that its doing well, but that its doing anything at all.

veryangryman wrote: »

Come to think of it...Ryanair will probably shelve Dublin Airport for this cheaper facility, similar to the way they fly to airports 50+ miles from major cities. Thus more routes will be served from this new place

Michael O’Leary has already rejected the idea.

Schuhart

force eleven wrote: »

Who exactly is going to fund all this ? Manchester City Football Club?

I've the same question in my mind. Its very unclear, but seems to be a private initiative.

veryangryman

O Leary is an intelligent man who i have alot of respect for, but i have to say he seems a bit of a hypocrite in this case

For years, he has been against practically any suggestions for T2 in Dublin Airport, especially since they denied his proposal to build it as low cost facility. Now he has the opportunity to have a low cost hub for Ryanair traffic to/from Dublin and he says that hes completely against it?

Me thinks he is more after the headlines/publicity than he is reflecting his true opinion. His bottom line is low fares, and an airport in such a location will obviously make this more possible.

I will be bold here and predict that Ryanair will be flying to this airport within 5 years (if it gets built). If or when such a thing happens, we will have an airport as close to city as Beauvais is to Paris. You will find the catchment population of the airport quadruple as a result.

But no, lets all lay down and die because were in a recession :rolleyes:

markpb

veryangryman wrote: »

But no, lets all lay down and die because were in a recession :rolleyes:

Only two posters have mentioned a recession. The rest of us have given economic reasons why it shouldn't happen but you've chosen to ignore all of them so you can have a bit of a rant and use that smiley a bit more. Being condescending does not mean you're right.


And for the record, I agree with you about O'Leary - what he says doesn't matter, it's what he does that matters. He's not exactly consistent with his opinions, he just does what is right for his company, right now.