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Moville cllr grounded in Portugal
22.04.10
by Caoimhinn Barr, Inishowen Independent
Local councillor Martin Farren has his fingers and
toes crossed today as he hopes to make his way back
to Ireland after being stranded in Portugal for more
than a week.
Cllr Farren had been enjoying a short break in the
Algarve with his wife Eileen when an Icelandic
volcano erupted grounding thousands of flights
across Europe.
After booking a holiday in early February the
well-known Moville couple flew to Lagos, Portugal,
from City of Derry airport on Thursday, April 8.
They were due to return to the North West last
Thursday, April 15, but have still not been able to
begin their journey back.
The Farrens are hoping that it will be third time
lucky tomorrow in their mammoth bid to get home to
Inishowen. Two flights, one with Ryanair and the
other Aer Lingus, have already been cancelled with
the couple due to board an Easyjet flight to Belfast
tomorrow morning. They will find out later this
evening if that plane will be able to take off.
Martin said that the couple have been checking news
bulletins almost every hour of the day to find out
the latest on the air travel situation. |
“Luckily we have RTE
radio on our television so we can keep up with
developments regarding Irish airspace. Unfortunately
I have had to miss some important engagements back
home,” he said.
Expected at a family wedding in Wicklow this
Saturday, the couple have every reason to be anxious
to return home.
“We considered taking a 36-hour bus trip to Paris
and getting the Eurotunnel from there but the advice
we received was to stay in Portugal because there is
a rail strike in France,” Martin said. |
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“My brother’s son is
getting married in Wicklow on Saturday and it is
touch and go now as to whether we will be able to
make it or not.
“I have met so many people out here from Inishowen
and Derry who are all in the same boat. People are
still very uncertain about when they can go home,”
he added.
Nervous flyer Martin, said that he hopes to board
tomorrow’s Easyjet flight home but he will have an
air of trepidation as the plane takes off.
“When the embargo lifts it will be a bit
nerve-wracking being on one of the first planes in
the sky,” he added. |
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