It’s ludicrous that Ryanair wouldn’t let me bring my trophy home
Golfer’s dismay at Spanish check-in (but he got it back)
AN IRISH golfer who won an international competition in Spain was forced to abandon his trophy after Ryanair refused to allow him bring it home on the plane, he has claimed.
Joe Lyons, 51, from Co. Offaly was flying high after winning the Spanish Seniors Amateur Open on Sunday and still had his silver cup in hand after he passed through Seville Airport with his wife, Vera.
However, the joyful occasion took a turn at the gate when a Ryanair employee informed him that he wasn’t allowed to carry his prize on board.
After failing to squeeze the trophy into their suitcases, Mr Lyons said his only option was to leave it behind for the crew to throw it away. ‘I was quite disappointed at how unaccommodating they were,’ he told the Mail. ‘The trophy wasn’t very big and they could have easily put it in the cockpit or hold. There was no issue carrying it through security, but at the gate I was told it was against Ryanair’s baggage policy.
‘Both my wife and I tried to get it
‘They’d have to throw it in the bin’
into our hand luggage and even though it fit into her backpack it wasn’t allowed through because the zip wouldn’t close.
‘I just said, “It doesn’t matter, we’ll leave it here” and the woman behind the desk said they can’t keep it and would have to throw it in the bin.
‘I told her to throw it away then as my wife and I walked down the gangway.
‘To be honest, I’ve won many trophies over the years and I don’t hold too much value into them, but I just found it ridiculous that nothing could be done.
‘They never even gave us the option to pay for extra baggage or put it in the hold. It was so ludicrous that I just felt they needed to be called out. Thankfully it was a replica trophy which meant that I didn’t have to give it back, which would have made things a lot more difficult.’
Mr Lyons, who lives in Galway, said he’s particularly confused about the airline’s dismissive attitude as another golfer who won the same competition last year had no problem boarding a Ryanair plane with his trophy in hand. ‘Last year, the Irish Seniors Open Championship was on in the Hermitage Golf Club in Dublin and I was beaten by a man named Tom Etridge from Sunningdale in England.
‘Well this morning I was sent a picture of him just about to hop on to a Ryanair plane with his cup and there was no problem at all.’
But despite his negative experience, the keen golfer said he’s not spiteful against the no-frills company. ‘I would probably be more disappointed if this was the first time I ever won something like this, but I’m not going to lose any sleep if I don’t see it again,’ Mr Lyons added. ‘I’m in the travel business myself and I recommend Ryanair to a lot of my clients and I’ll probably continue to do so.
‘They provide very cheap flights, but common sense would go a long way.’ Following the incident garnering significant media attention, Mr Lyons received a call from Ryanair informing him they will send his prize to his Galway home later today.
‘All’s well that ends well,’ he wrote on social media. ‘Ryanair have just called me and said they are putting the trophy on a flight tonight and will courier it to Galway tomorrow.’ In an earlier status, Joe described what happened to him and posted an image of the trophy standing idle on top of a check-in desk.
‘A great week in Seville. Great city. Great golf course. A week that won’t be ruined by Ryanair’s refusal to allow me bring home the Spanish Seniors Open Trophy.
‘It wouldn’t fit in the hand luggage so it couldn’t travel. They advised they will have to put it in the bin. Crazy stuff – that I think needs to be called out. Still buzzing with the win though,’ he said.
Mr Lyons, who is the reigning Irish Seniors Close champion, hailed victorious after closing with a five-under 67 at the Spanish Seniors Amateur Open at Real Club Sevilla Golf.
Attempts were made to contact Ryanair for comment.
‘Ryanair put the trophy on a flight’