The best present EVER!!!
hall Joy and laughter for thousands in airport’s arrivals
THERE was ‘great joy and laughter’ for thousands at the arrivals hall of Dublin Airport yesterday as families and friends were reunited in time for Christmas.
However, there was frustration for some as two flights into Dublin Airport were cancelled yesterday, with minor delays on more than 30 other flights.
Around 1.5m people are expected to pass through the airport over the Christmas period, with many back for a week or two and others home for good.
Emily McAllen was in the latter camp, home to stay after four years working with her father as a horse trainer in the USA, without a trip home.
The 22-year-old, from Killarney, Co. Kerry, is most looking forward to seeing her grandparents – who don’t know she is home – but was worried their Derrynane accent might take some readjusting to.
‘Apparently, I have an American accent now as well,’ she told the Irish Mail on Sunday, in a distinctly milder Kerry brogue than her sister Isabel, who had come to greet her in Terminal 2.
‘My mam goes all out for Christmas, so I’m excited for that,’ Emily said. ‘I’ve had very boring Christmases there. I was in Florida for a couple and Christmas
‘First time we’ve all been with the grandchildren’
was never really a thing. Sometimes we would do a turkey but it’s nothing like at home. I spent two Christmases in New York City as well, and it was nice to go see the tree, but that’s about it.’
The Danker family were also in high spirits ahead of their first Christmas together as three generations.
Jack and his wife Rachel brought their daughter Lola to Ireland for the first time, and were warmly welcomed at the airport by Jack’s parents Agnes and Terry. And their other child Kate flew home from New Zealand last week, with husband Ruaraí and their two-year-old son Tommy. The young cousins met for the first time yesterday.
‘It’s the first time we have been together as a family with the grandchildren,’ Terry told the MoS, adding that he allows himself to get ‘a bit emotional. No tears – just great joy and laughter’.
The newest members of the family ‘both did very well’ on the long flights, he said. ‘Plenty of sleep and then they were well behaved for the rest of it.’
Adrian Hanna welcomed his sister Dawn, who has lived in California for 15 years. Originally from Scotland, Dawn will fly to Glasgow today to spend Christmas there. Adrian, his wife Shelly and their daughters Lottie and Ailee will travel over next week, accompanied back by Dawn for a few more days in Ireland.
‘I don’t get to see her very often,’ said Adrian, who lives in Drumcondra, Dublin. ‘So it’s lovely to see her and for her to be able to spend time with Lottie and Ailee.’ The girls were delighted to see their aunt and are ‘very excited’.