Emotional scenes as families reunited for Christmas at Dublin Airport

Dad Adriano from Australia is welcomed home by his son Luca (16 months) and his wife Catherine from Co Antrim at Dublin Airport. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

There were emotional scenes in Dublin Airport on Thursday as families flew in to be reunited with their loved ones for the festive season.

More than 200,000 passengers are expected to travel through the airport by Friday evening and more than 1.6m over the entire Christmas period.

An early flight from New York saw Gráinne D’Alton (24) from Schull in West Cork being reunited with her best friend.

The Trinity Drama and Sociology student has been living in the US since March where she is doing an internship with the Irish Arts Centre for a year.

Gráinne’s family are the owners of the well-known D’Alton’s pub where she will be working behind the bar over the Christmas period.

Rushing into the arms of her college pal Olivia Masetti-Nolan from Dublin, whom she met while studying in Trinity, the Cork woman said she was “so happy” to be home for Christmas.

Ms Masetti-Nolan told the Irish Examiner: “I came to meet her (Gráinne) in the airport so she can stay with me tonight in Dublin.

“We went to Trinity together and we’ve been friends for a long time, and all through covid, so I’m just delighted to see her.”

Gráinne said: “It’s just great to see her and lovely to be home."

Clutching a balloon and flowers, Maureen O’Connor from Dublin waited patiently to greet her daughter Amy (27) who has been living in Melbourne, Australia, for the past two years.

“She is coming home with her boyfriend from Belfast, she met him there which is lovely,” she said. “She is working in a school for the underprivileged children and loves it, this is the first time she’s home since going."

Amy’s father John and her sister Ashley, who is expecting her first baby, were also there.

'Great to be back'

Kim Egling, right, and Cameron Egling, left, welcome her brother, James and his partner, Simone home from Boston. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

When Amy arrived, she said she was “full of adrenaline” and that it was “great to be back”.

Her boyfriend Matthew said he would be able to spend Christmas with both families before they go back.

Kevin Murphy, originally from Mayo but living in Dublin was also in the arrivals hall to meet his daughter Bebhinn, her husband Paul Gallon, and her four sons, Hugh, 18, Finn, 16, and 10-year-old twins Pearse and Ronan, from New York.

"We haven’t been together for Christmas for 10 years, so this is serious," he said.

"There will be 27 of us in Dalkey in my other daughter’s home.

"They are home until January. We will all be cooking. I’ll be doing the pudding and the brandy."

There was a surprise engagement for two families when James Kavanagh proposed to his partner of 11 years Caoimhe Sheahan during a weeklong break in New York while en route from Australia to Dublin.

The couple have been living and working in north Sydney for more than six years and James popped the question in Central Park.

Parents Helena and Denis Sheahan who are from Mayo and Waterford but living in Dublin, said it was the best Christmas present.

Mr Sheehan said he was “very proud” of his daughter.

“She is just 29 and very successful and we are delighted to have her home," he said.

James’ tearful mother Patricia Kavanagh said: "It’s been tough because he’s away. we will all be here together."

Grandparents Ger and Brian McGuiness sobbed as they met their seven-month-old grandson James for the first time. “He’s just beautiful,” she said.

Her son Derek and his Australian wife Rebecca flew in from Perth with his in-laws Leachelle and Craig Archibald for Christmas.

Mrs Archibald said her grandson had “smiled” for the entire 17-hour trip and that he is “joy”.

“This is a pretty special moment for all of us,” she said.