A New Airport for Aer Lingus
In the early days of Air Lingus, it was clear that Baldonnel was not a suitable site for the building of a large civilian airport.
In the 1930's, there was an ongoing debate about the best site for the airport. An article in Studies magazine proposed building Dublin's new airport at Sandymount Strand. Another proposal, equally unwise, was to build it at the Phoenix Park, which had been used for air displays and military aviation since the First World War. Both of these suggestions showed lack of foresight.
Alfie Byrne, who was Lord Mayor of Dublin throughout the 1930's, advocated developing the Collinstown site as a major airport. In 1935, Byrne asked the Minister for Transport and Commerce, Sean Lemass, to consider building an airport at Collinstown, partly as a relief scheme, as there was much unemployment in Ireland at the time.
Those with aviation expertise also recommended Collinstown as the best site for an airport. They included Major Gerry Carrol of the Air Corps and R. W. O'Sullivan, Assistant Aeronautical Engineer with the Air Corps.
In the long run, it was generally recognised that, geographically, Collinstown was the best site for Dublin's new airport. It was 200 feet above sea level, was not prone to foggy conditions and planes did not have to contend with surrounding mountains. In April 1937, work began on the building of the main runway at Collinstown.
The Emergency to the Present Day
On 19 January 1940, on a cold, snowy day, the inaugural flight took off from Collinstown Airport at 9 o'clock in morning. This was the same date on which, 155 years earlier, Richard Crosbie achieved the first successful manned flight in Ireland, taking off in a balloon from Ranelagh and landing in Clontarf.
At this time, the area surrounding Collinstown was rural, with a number of isolated farms and small communities. There were still many thatched cottages in the area.
Dublin Airport, 1940s
Aerial photo showing Dublin Airport and surrounding hangars in the 1940s. The photograph also shows the approach road to the terminal building, two aircraft to the right and part of the runway.
Fingal County Libraries, Local Studies Section.Dublin Airport, 1940s
Fingal County Libraries, Local Studies Section.
Fingal County Libraries, Local Studies Section.
Dublin Airport, 1940s
Aerial photo showing Dublin Airport and surrounding hangars in the 1940s. The photograph also shows the approach road to the terminal building, two aircraft to the right and part of the runway.
Fingal County Libraries, Local Studies Section.After that historic flight in 1939, Collinstown Airport was very quiet for several years. This was because the Second World War (1939-1945) restricted activities in civil aviation. During this time, there was an army garrison at the airport. Pillboxes were built around the airfield and anti-aircraft guns were installed but never used.
Ireland was neutral in the war, but the Irish Government declared a state of emergency, so this period in Ireland is often called 'the Emergency'. There was severe rationing of goods during this time and Irish people lived very frugally. Due to a shortage of wheat for bread, 257 acres of fields around the airport were sown with wheat.
Around 500 sheep were grazed at the airport during the Emergency. When a flight was about to land, a red flag was raised in the airfield to alert the shepherd to bring in the sheep. Although meat and other goods were scarce, the Aer Rianta sheepdog, Terry, was paid five shillings a week so that he could have 20 pounds of meat a week and a bottle of milk a day!
Despite the war, Aer Lingus often managed to operate two flights per week to Liverpool. However, in general the airport was extremely quiet during this time.
Dublin Airport, 2007
An aerial view of Dublin International Airport, taken in 2007.
Image courtesy of Google Earth.Dublin Airport, 2007
Image courtesy of Google Earth.
Image courtesy of Google Earth.
Dublin Airport, 2007
An aerial view of Dublin International Airport, taken in 2007.
Image courtesy of Google Earth.In the 1950's, the airport at Collinstown began to take off, as aviation in Ireland generally began to flourish. Many commercial activities resulted from this. Dublin Airport, as it became known, continued to grow and became an important international hub.
In 2006, 21.2 million passengers passed through the airport and over ninety airlines currently operate out of it, serving over 170 destinations. The airport employs over 13,000 people in over 120 companies, with over 1,900 of these directly employed by the Dublin Airport Authority.