Politicians miss funeral due to fog
Tánaiste and Minister Michael McDowell, Attorney General Rory Brady and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny were due to fly to Cork to attend the funeral of former Fine Gael Lord Mayor, Sean O’Leary, who died last Friday.
Mr McDowell and Mr Brady left Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnell on board a seven-seater Air Corps Beechcraft aircraft early yesterday.
But poor conditions around Cork Airport prevented their aircraft from landing and the plane returned to Casement Aerodrome.
A spokesperson said the minister was very disappointed he didn’t get to the funeral.
“Mr McDowell was very disappointed he didn’t get the chance to express his condolences in person to the O’Leary family,’’ she said.
Fog also hit Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny’s flight. He left a private airfield in Dublin on board a chartered helicopter just before 9am. But his pilot was contacted midway through the journey by air traffic controllers in Cork, who said dense fog would make a landing impossible. They returned to Dublin and Mr Kenny tried to charter an aircraft but it was not flight ready.
A Fine Gael spokesman said Mr Kenny was particularly disappointed to miss the funeral. “He had no option but to turn back. But he was in personal contact with Mr O’Leary’s wife, Mary, last weekend and he hopes to speak to her again, in person, over the next day or so,” he said.
An Aer Arann flight due to land in Cork at 9.50am also had to abort its landing because of the fog.
All other flights, both inbound and outbound from Cork, operated on schedule.
