Aer Lingus and our rugby stars rock...
WE’RE flying high and we don’t ever want to come back down to earth... that means us and our national airline carrier.
Aer Lingus are going to fly our rugby boys back from Japan later this year WITH the Rugby World Cup (you read it here first).
Which was why your diarist playfully asked the good folk at Aer Lingus this week if they had considered painting the William Webb Ellis Cup next to their newly designed Aer Lingus shamrock symbol in readiness!
The new Aer Lingus shamrock and aeroplane livery, the first rebrand in 20 years, were rolled out at Dublin Airport on Thursday.
And as I love a livery and ours best of all, I’m happy to give my verdict.
Yes there are changes... the whiteness hits you first, but I never think you can go wrong with the clean look while there is a teal-coloured tail and engines.
The shamrock has a modern funky tilted look with one stem and leaf separated from the others and the hearts more accentuated with an emoji feel to them.
But heck this is a forwardlooking and innovative nation. St Patrick will rest easy in his grave.
Aer Lingus will roll out the new shamrock and brand on their planes over the next few years though two planes are already sporting the new look.
Maincín flew out to New York this week.
Extensive research into Maincín (OK, googling) reminds us that he is, of course, founder of the church in Luimneach/ Limerick, but we could not find what he might be the patron saint of.
So, I’ll be recommending to Pope Francis that in this auspicious week he be made the patron saint of rugby players.
As Maincín soars high in the skies above New York, let’s remind ourselves of Aer Lingus’s fab first XV North American destinations: New York JFK, Newark, Hartford Connecticut, Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and new this year Montreal and Minneapolis-St Paul. Check out www.aerlingus.com.
And seeing as we’re talking the Big Apple, let’s tempt you with New York from €189 each way as part of a return trip.