Chance encounter as Mayo GAA legend meets Ryanair CEO at Knock
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary made a whistlestop visit to Ireland West Airport Knock on Tuesday to mark the facility's 40th anniversary, and declared that Mayo doesn't need Sam Maguire when it has Ryanair.
Mr O'Leary was welcomed to the airport by managing director Joe Gilmore to mark the occasion and to recognise the long-term business relationship between the airport and Ryanair, which has served the facility since its first scheduled service departed in December 1986.
The airline now operates 17 routes to the UK and Europe from Knock, and last year celebrated the milestone of carrying its 12 millionth passenger through the airport.
While making his way through the terminal, Mr O'Leary was generous with his time meeting and greeting Ryanair and Ireland West Airport staff and he was handed an unexpected photo opportunity when he crossed paths with Mayo GAA star Aidan O'Shea, who was departing the airport with his wife and daughter on a Ryanair flight to Faro.
Mr O'Shea was in fine form having helped Mayo to a commanding 4-26 to 2-11 victory over Roscommon at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar last Sunday.
The Breaffy man netted Mayo's third goal of the afternoon, finishing smartly after shrugging off the Roscommon defence to find the back of the net.
Donned in green and red for the occasion, Mr O'Leary quipped to Mr O'Shea: "You'll do it this year." The Mayo man replied simply: "That's the plan."
The Ryanair boss said he hopes Mayo win the All-Ireland, but insisted the most important thing is that Dublin don't.
"My own Westmeath have no chance in either," he added.
Mr O'Leary said: "Mayo may have been cursed on the football fields for the last 50 years, but thanks to Knock Airport and Ryanair, it continues to be the champion for low-fare air access and tourism growth in the West of Ireland."
The airport, once dismissed as a "white elephant" project on a foggy, boggy hill, has grown into a key economic asset for the region, surpassing passenger traffic records and on course for its busiest year ever in 2026