'It feels like a movie': Emotional scenes at airports as loved ones return home for Christmas

Families reunited for festive season as relatives fly in from around the world

Shane McCarthy, Old Head, Kinsale, his wife Annemarie and their son Connor arrive at Cork Airport for Christmas, with Annemarie's family from Minnesota. Picture: Denis Minihane

A jittery Maggie Sherman was beaming, nervous and excited as she stood right beneath Cork Airport arrivals board.

“I don’t know why they’re taking so long to come through because it landed at 27 past,” she said, about 10 minutes after the flight had landed.