Dick Cheney makes Shannon stopover

It has been confirmed that US Vice President Dick Cheney made a stopover at Shannon airport last night en route from Afghanistan.

The White House No.2 was accompanied into the terminal building by an entourage of up to thirty people where he spent an hour while his aircraft was refuelled.

Mr Cheney was travelling back to the United States from Kabul where he had met with newly elected President Hamid Kharzai.

However, the Department of Foreign Affairs has refused to confirm reports Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was also on board a second plane which also touched down at Shannon.

Witnesses have said there was a full US secret service unit and significant Garda presence at the airport.