Midlands International Airport: Good idea or not?

medoc

Hi All

There are plans under way for an Airport in the Midlands, in Offaly near Tubber and Horseleap. It was proposed a few years ago and the company behind the idea are now talking to An Bord Pleanala about submitting an application. The plans include Irelands longest runway and a moterway connection on the M6 and it is intended for international as well as domestic traffic. Other phases of the devolopment include a bussiness centre, Technology park, distribution centre and a rail link.

Does any one have any opinions on the idea good or bad.

I think the idea has its merits in providing competition for Dublin but does Ireland need another airport? I dont think it will come to much for the forseable future anyway, due to the recession. It could take a lot of pressure of dublin airport and the M50 and serve a large part of the country.

Schuhart

medoc wrote: »

I think the idea has its merits in providing competition for Dublin but does Ireland need another airport?

Ireland is all airported out along the West, and I'd be surprised if there wasn't some rationalisation during the next coupe of years. So, no, on the face of it I don't see space for another airport.

I'd suggest thinking of the example of Waterford airport. Its been pretty much squeezed out by Dublin and Cork airports. I'd expect that a Midlands airport would face similar problems, as its potential catchment would surely also be served by Shannon, Knock, Dublin and possibly even Galway for what its worth.

medoc wrote: »

I dont think it will come to much for the forseable future anyway, due to the recession. It could take a lot of pressure of dublin airport and the M50 and serve a large part of the country.

I think you are right to be realistic about the recession. Dublin Airport is cutting back its investment programme, in the expectation of falling numbers. That suggests 'pressure' will be relieving itself.

Cosmo Kramer

In principle the area east of the midlands would be ideal for an airport, because Dublin must be one of the largest European cities to only have one airport and no 2nd tier low cost out-of-city type alternative. There would also be plenty of potential passengers in the midlands area as well as those using it from the city, I know of people from as far away as North Tipp and Cavan that use Knock sometimes as a less hastle alternative to Dublin.

However, in reality it is had to imagine such a development getting off the ground in such a highly populated area without encountering major local opposition - everyone wants an airport nearby, but nobody wants one right next door.

Any airport located half way along the M6 would serve both Dublin and Galway (each being just over an hour away when the M6 is complete), but possibly at the expence of existing airports due to running costs being lower.
An airport aimed at just serving the midlands would be doomed to fail, the population couldn't support it.

However, because the road layout in Ireland is so Dublin centred, it would not serve the rest of the country as well, all the good roads have Dublin at one end.

From some towns (e.g Caven) it would be easier to get to Dublin for example even though the midlands airport would be closer, as the crow flies

Bluetonic

Definitely a non runner, have people not seen the financial problems Cork, Shannon and Knock have?

A low cost terminal on the west of the Dublin airport would be a better option.

Chris_533976

Think about shutting Dublin airport maybe and pop the airport on a spur slightly to the west of the DOOR??

Trouble is we would need a new airport to be well connected to public transport, which wont happen anywhere in the midlands.

road_high

Bluetonic wrote: »

A low cost terminal on the west of the Dublin airport would be a better option.

Read somewhere recently about a proposal for Baldonnel again. I think it was South Dublin Coco discussing it. At least taxpayers money would be saved.

Schuhart

Deleted User wrote: »

However, because the road layout in Ireland is so Dublin centred, it would not serve the rest of the country as well, all the good roads have Dublin at one end.

In fairness, its hard to envisage it any other way. Part of what the lesson of Knock should be telling us is that if you position an airport in random field, the entire transport infrastructure of the nation, along with its population distribution, won't suddenly morph to accommodate it. Because Cavan people have all kinds of reasons to get to Dublin, its no surprise to find that people from Cavan in search of an airport find that journey easier.

The point is to pick an existing centre of scale, like Cork, and see development centering around it. Because, similarly, you can expect that people will have all kinds of reasons to need to get to Cork, say for university or hospital services. So you don't need to bend the law of gravity to envisage them getting their airport their too.

But that's just to make a general point. The bottom line is we already have too many airports.

mysterious

Oh for the love of god, another save the WEST I mean MIDLAND'S

For a country of 4.4million MAX do really need another airport.

Rant over.

P.S No it would be ABSURD to close Dublin Airport. end of story.

mysterious

mfitzy wrote: »

Read somewhere recently about a proposal for Baldonnel again. I think it was South Dublin Coco discussing it. At least taxpayers money would be saved.

But the roads there are really bad.

All the local roads spill onto the N7, and there is really bad connections in general.


The Only way I see that going ahead

1. If Metrowest was completed.
2. The Naas Road widened to four lanes each way to Redcow including NWC junction.
3. a distrubuter road built from Newlands to Newcastle and onto the Kill roads
4. Auxullary lanes built for the Baldonnel/Citywest/local traffic grade separated from the heavy long distance traffic i.e N7

Example of number 4 would be the Lyon A6 near the Paris suburbs.

invincibleirish

Sums up our Country's way of doing things, a Midlands airport ties in with our Spatial strategy & Decentralisation plans and expansive Interurban Motorway network. All we need now is a grant towards the runway and some PSOs and we're away.

GerardKeating

medoc wrote: »

Does any one have any opinions on the idea good or bad.

If Dublin/Cork/Shannon airports and the motorway network did not exist, then the midlands would be the best place for a single large international airport to servce the country with the motorway network radiating out from it to Dubln/Cork/Limerick/Galway/Sligo/Dundalk/Kilkenny/Wexford etc.., but they do exist and wont go away any time soon.

but if it does happen, it will be an even bigger white elephant than Knock...

Bards

GerardKeating wrote: »

If Dublin/Cork/Shannon airports and the motorway network did not exist, then the midlands would be the best place for a single large international airport to servce the country with the motorway network radiating out from it to Dubln/Cork/Limerick/Galway/Sligo, but they do exist and wont go away any time soon.

but if it does happen, it will be an even bigger white elephant than Knock...

Sligo???????????????????

You do mean Waterford. Are we that bad at teaching geography in Schools

TestTransmission

Great location for an airport,but do we really need another one?

invincibleirish

Bards wrote: »

Are we that bad at teaching geography in Schools

We're even worse at teaching Economic Geography......;).

GerardKeating

Bards wrote: »

Sligo???????????????????

You do mean Waterford. Are we that bad at teaching geography in Schools

List was not ment to be exhaustive, but i updated it to include the sunny south-east...;)

veryangryman

Im sorry but i disagree with practically all of you

An airport supported by an airport development fee for each passenger (like with Knock) would be a naff idea.

Yes i know there are many logistical barriers to this, but the cynic in me thinks that the guys in charge are too stupid to contemplate an airport that is in a landlocked county.

As for the so-called "white elephant" Knock - Bull. No way is that a white elephant. Huge passenger numbers using it. Possibly the most successful airport in the country for its size. A decent alternative for those of us who have better things to do than park on the M50. Now if they could only sort the roads out around it, we'd be flying

Tee Hee - I just punned without knowing it!

Schuhart

veryangryman wrote: »

As for the so-called "white elephant" Knock - Bull. No way is that a white elephant. Huge passenger numbers using it. Possibly the most successful airport in the country for its size. A decent alternative for those of us who have better things to do than park on the M50.

There aren't hugh numbers of people using it. The situation is much as I said. About 600,000 passengers use Knock, which is about 2% of all air traffic in the State. to put that in perspective, Mayo has about 2 to 3% of national population. So Knock Airport does OK, sort of. But mentioning it in the same context as Dublin is mistaken.

For what its worth, 75% of all air passengers entering the State use Dublin. In other words, people seem to choose Dublin despite extra capacity in other airports. Despite the West being paved with airports, we've an hourly bus from Galway to Dublin airport. So, apparently, people either like parking on the M50 or find they actually don't end up parking on the M50.

Cork and Shannon each account for about 10% of air traffic. (That said, Shannon's share is distorted by American troops and the remnants of the stopover). So each of those two airports dwarf Knock. But of the mickey mouse airports like Farranfore and Sligo, Knock carries the most passengers. But so what. All that tells us is building an airport in a random field achieves precious little.

veryangryman wrote: »

Now if they could only sort
the roads out around it, we'd be flying

But is the point not that the country won't morph just because we chuck an airport somewhere.

Contrast the present situation with might might have been if instead of building Knock, we had moved Galway airport to a site capable of taking jets. Then any improvements in transport would have grown organically out of the arrangement.

marmurr1916

The best location for any new airport would be Galway since it's about mid-way along the west coast and Galway has (or will have) excellent road and good rail links with the other main centres of population.

However, Ireland is too small a country, geographically and in terms of population, to make all the existing airports viable, let alone one more.

Only four of our airports (Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock) are commercially viable at present, and the last two, especially Knock, are operating on the margins.

The best airport policy would be to consolidate services at these four airports and concentrate on improving public transport links (especially buses) between these airports and the main centres of population in their hinterlands.

G_R

marmurr1916 wrote: »

The best location for any new airport would be Galway since it's about mid-way along the west coast and Galway has (or will have) excellent road and good rail links with the other main centres of population.

However, Ireland is too small a country, geographically and in terms of population, to make all the existing airports viable, let alone one more.

Only four of our airports (Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock) are commercially viable at present, and the last two, especially Knock, are operating on the margins.

The best airport policy would be to consolidate services at these four airports and concentrate on improving public transport links (especially buses) between these airports and the main centres of population in their hinterlands.

+1 well said

someone is talking sense

veryangryman

Fukc consolidation, or any attempts to consolidate from the business world

Inspired by greed, tight-arsedness and knee-jerky business practice

Lads, (and i speak to every one of you on boards who is a manager when i say this), get the finger out and be a bit bold sometimes.

This whole cowering in the corner, doing consolidations etc is an easy-way out for people who face having to actually think about a solution to tighter budgets

Rant over

KevR

marmurr1916 wrote: »

The best location for any new airport would be Galway since it's about mid-way along the west coast and Galway has (or will have) excellent road and good rail links with the other main centres of population.

However, Ireland is too small a country, geographically and in terms of population, to make all the existing airports viable, let alone one more.

Only four of our airports (Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock) are commercially viable at present, and the last two, especially Knock, are operating on the margins.

The best airport policy would be to consolidate services at these four airports and concentrate on improving public transport links (especially buses) between these airports and the main centres of population in their hinterlands.

I agree. I've never been able to understand why we built so many small/medium airports along the West Coast* - none of them compete with Dublin in a big way IMO. To me, it would have made more sense to, instead, have built one bigger (but obviously not massive) airport somewhere (possibly Galway because, as you said, it's mid-way along the coast) and then to have hugely improved road (soon they will be up to scratch anyhow) and public transport links so it's easy for the entire West Coast to get to.

By car from where I live: Galway Airport = 20 mins (if there is no traffic), Shannon Airport less than 1 hour, Knock Airport = 1 hour, Dublin Airport less than 2 and a half hours.

I mostly find myself using Dublin Airport because I'm not able to get the flights I want from any of the other airports which are nearer to me.

I don't think another airport in the midlands would be able to compete with Dublin in a big way either, not to mention competition from all the West Coast airports.

*Talking about the likes of Galway, Knock, Shannon, Sligo, Kerry, Sligo airports. Wouldn't include Cork Airport in that.

paulm17781

veryangryman wrote: »

Fukc consolidation, or any attempts to consolidate from the business world

Inspired by greed, tight-arsedness and knee-jerky business practice

Lads, (and i speak to every one of you on boards who is a manager when i say this), get the finger out and be a bit bold sometimes.

This whole cowering in the corner, doing consolidations etc is an easy-way out for people who face having to actually think about a solution to tighter budgets

Rant over

Wow, in the last 20 minutes, the economy just got fixed. Senseless economic thinking and a rant was all we needed. :rolleyes:

serfboard

marmurr1916 wrote: »

Only four of our airports (Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock) are commercially viable at present, and the last two, especially Knock, are operating on the margins.

The best airport policy would be to consolidate services at these four airports and concentrate on improving public transport links (especially buses) between these airports and the main centres of population in their hinterlands.

Possibly the most sensible thing I've read on boards for quite a long time.

mysterious

For the love of god people, get a grip will you.
WE don't need another airport on this island for christ sakes. This thread is pure and utter idiocy to the highest degree out there. There is enough airports.

Uk has 60million and has only a few international Airports.
Ireland a population of 4.3million has 3 nearly four international airports

To be quite blunt. Get over it the lot of ye. It's futile talk. Dublin/Shannon/Cork and maybe Knock is enough....... Improve roads to these areas, as someone said is enough.
Your never to far from any of these airports, given the vastly improved motorway network in this country.

On top of this we have many local airports that connect to the main airports also.


This thread is utter lunacy. I'm surprised no one has said this already.

mysterious

mysterious wrote: »

This thread is utter lunacy. I'm surprised no one has said this already.

You're preaching to the choir!

richiepoorman

I live in the midlands and i personnaly would prefer not to have to go to Dublin airport whenever i leave the country, however the only real advantage of a midlands airport at this time would be the creation of new employment for the local area/economy.:)

Manuel

How could this thread be considered lunacy? The thing is with An Bord Pleanála for Chrissakes.

Don't shoot the messenger, people.

mysterious

richiepoorman wrote: »

I live in the midlands and i personnaly would prefer not to have to go to Dublin airport whenever i leave the country, however the only real advantage of a midlands airport at this time would be the creation of new employment for the local area/economy.:)

We are talking about an international airport. Not a ****ing local spar.

Building an airport just for jobs, is ****ing stupid also. What the hell is going with people in these times. The lunacy is just unbearable for me.

What do you want the aiport beside your house or something.

THERE IS ENOUGH AIRPORTS IN THIS COUNTRY. Lock this thread. it's redicolous

mysterious

I live in a two story house, I would make it quicker to the airport in a single story house.

Why cus I won't have to take the stairs in my house. Its so convienant to get their quicker.

I have tbis sexual attraction to having an aiport near me, infact I think we should have an runway built for each house.

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

Schuhart

mysterious wrote: »

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

Is that most dysfunctional in this forum, or most dysfunctional on the whole site?

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?