Ireland West Airport Knock 6.26

Ireland West Airport Knock is an airport 5.6 km south-west of Charlestown, County Mayo, Ireland. The village of Knock is 20 km away. In 2014, 703,727 passengers used the airport, making it the fourth busiest in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin, Cork and Shannon.HistoryThe airport opened on 25 October 1985 with three Aer Lingus charter flights to Rome: the official opening was on 30 May 1986. The site, on a hill in boggy terrain, was thought by many to be unrealistic but the airport was built following a long and controversial campaign by Monsignor James Horan, the story of which has even spawned a musical. At the time of construction, the primary motivation was for pilgrims to Knock Shrine. Despite criticisms that the site was too boggy and too foggy, Monsignor Horan delivered an airport within five years, primarily financed by a Government grant of £9.8 million. Monsignor Horan died shortly after the opening of the airport, and his funeral was held at the then named Horan International Airport. In recent times, Monsignor Horan has been celebrated with a bronze statue erected at the airport.By 1988, over 100,000 passengers had passed through. In 1995 Aer Lingus commenced flights to Birmingham.On 1 June 2003, hundreds of people gathered to view an Air Atlanta Icelandic Boeing 747 land with 500 returning pilgrims from Lourdes.