How Ireland West Airport is lifting Mayo to reach its potential
It would be remiss, on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, not to extend congratulations and best wishes to everyone involved in the success of Ireland West Airport Knock since its foundation in 1986.
And because of its unique and remarkable capacity for overcoming the odds from its formative years to its current phase of stability and ongoing growth, it is rightly regarded as the beacon of an often forgotten region, a shining light signally Mayo as being best in class when placing faith in itself.
The geography has not always helped in achieving that sense of conviction and willpower, being so far removed from the State's power-brokers in Dublin and being overshadowed somewhat by Galway city and it ability to consistently attract bigger investment.
Yet, Ireland West Airport has stood the test of time while Galway Airport has not.
Galway city has also become choked from a traffic congestion perspective due, ironically, to an excessive level of investment in one place and the failure to construct the necessary road infrastructures to match growth.
The approach road from Mayo has not changed significantly in years, making the prospect of visiting Galway far from the enjoyable experience it used to be.
Those responsible for regional planning need to re-examine its template in terms of the future development of the western region with the emphasis being placed away from the cities of Galway and Sligo and into Mayo, Leitrim and Roscommon.
In that respect, Ireland West Airport and the lands around it represent the ideal starting point for this much-needed shift in policy.
And while Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary is right about a lot of things when it comes to Ireland West Airport, he is wrong in his argument that the planned Western Rail Corridor project should not be linked to the Charlestown facility.
In fairness to Mr. O'Leary, he is consistent in his views as he is also an opponent of the new Dublin Metro project.
But surely, from a western regional perspective, it would not make sense to bypass the area's most important transport infrastructure when investing in a potential game changing railway project?
The government may not have quite figured it out yet, but Ireland West Airport is presenting it with its finest opportunity in decades for meaningful decentralisation to properly address years of neglect of one of its proudest counties.
It's time the 'Mayo God help us' tag is finally cast deep into the Atlantic Ocean once and for all so that our county, like Ireland West Airport, can start to really fulfil its true potential.