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AN ARMED US military aircraft landed at Shannon Airport early this month in breach of government rules that prohibit planes carrying weapons from landing in Ireland.
An administrative error is being blamed for the incident.
Weaponry
Permission is given to foreign military aircraft to land in Irish airports
In response to a parliamentary question by Labour’s Derek Nolan on landings at Shannon Airport by foreign military aircraft, the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said that he was aware of one landing.
Gilmore said:
I am aware of one landing at Shannon Airport during the period in question in which a US military aircraft, contrary to notification, was found to be armed with a fixed weapon and did not, therefore, comply with the normal conditions that apply to foreign military aircraft overflying or landing in Ireland.
US Embassy
Gilmore said that it was raised “at the highest possible level” with the US Embassy. He said an embassy official explained that it was an isolated incident that had taken place as a result of an “administrative error”. Gilmore said he had been given assurances that it would not happen again.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, John Lannon spokesperson for Shannonwatch, a group that monitors the foreign military use of Shannon Airport, said they were not surprised about the revelation:
For years now Shannonwatch have been asking for proper inspections of US military planes at Shannon, and this admission by Minister Gilmore vindicates our demands. Regular and routine inspections are now required until such time as the US military use of the airport is finally ended.
Lannon added that there is huge risks associated with having weapons at a civilian airport like Shannon. He said this incident “violates the strong commitment the Irish people have to peace and human rights protection. How long until we hear that there were prisoners illegally kidnapped, shackled on planes at Shannon?”
He added:
It’s hardly surprising that the world’s largest and most sophisticated army had a fixed weapon on one of its aircraft. But it’s hard to imagine it happening accidentally or in error.
Foreign landings
Gilmore added that there had been 366 landing by foreign military aircrafts this year up to September 2013. The US military has by far the most military landings at the airport. Here is a breakdown of those figures.
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Just once they paid the travel tax, I’m happy
Us irish owe a lot to America it’s the least we could do.after sending thousands on the coffin ships
Get a grasp of history before you comment, will you? The Irish were treated like dirt in America. Let’s not forget that there were Irish slaves working on Southern Plantations too.
Irish slaves working on southern plantations!! I am intrigued…evidence please!!
@Maurice and most of the slave owners were of Irish descent.. funny that…we owned and were slaves… Bloody great race the Irish.
It’s well documented. Ever hear about a little thing called *whispers* google…
Evidence? It’s common knowledge if you have any interest in the Irish diaspora in America.
Breaking news…. Tensions have risen in the Irish Republic following the landing of an armed US aircraft against all rules. A government spokesman has described this obvious act of war as “bad form” and hinted at “strongly worded letters” in response. The cabinet are currently meeting in emergency session, the le Ceaira is sailing off the west coast and all FCA leave has been cancelled. The world holds its breath.
They may have been treated like dirt at first but they made a living over there.they made a good life for themselves over there.look at recent times then from the sixties on the irish have gone over in their thousands to make a living and send money home feeding countless families that would have starved otherwise.enlighten me on the Irish workin on the plantations.never heard that before
@ Maurice, the foreigners don’t exactly get an open arms welcome here.
(Not having a go at you in any way man.)
Evidence John. Are you serious? Do a bit of research yourself on the Irish that were taken and spread across the deep south and the Caribbean to work as slaves. ‘To hell or barbados’ is a nice read and will give you a good start.
Then educate yourself for heavens sake.
@ David Harris.
Just an update from Shannon.
Gilmore was flying from a high powered meeting in Germany but he is delayed due to forgetting to print off the boarding pass for Ryanair.
In the meantime the RAF are fuelling their interceptors.
@neeneee
The same could be said about African-Americans. Would love to hear you tell them that it all worked out in the long run!
http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=Irish+slavery+americas
Look it up . . . the work of Cromwell
Hi John …. this is very true and given very little publicity in any modern Irish history book. fyi check out on YouTube…. black Irish of montserrat. Also check history of montserrat on wikki. They are also the only other country in the world that have an official state holiday on saint Patrick s day.
Latest update….. President Michael Deeee Higgins has dispatched a “dirty look” via Skype to Barak O’ Bama. A response is expected early next week as the Arus uses state of art dial up internet.
@Michelle. The post that I questioned alluded to Irish slaves in southern U.S. plantations! I am well aware of the Irish slaves in Barbados. However, Barbados is not, nor was ever part of the U.S. The U.S. was not even a country when Irish slaves were being transported to Barbados. You shouldn’t have spent all that time smoking behind the bike sheds, when you should have been at your geography/history classes :-) .
@John. My smoking never interfered with my education thanks;) The book I recommended also went into detail of the plantations in both Virginia and New England. As did the link. You are very, very welcome.
John if you don’t know just admit it and thank Michelle for providing the link that proves the point made.
No need to attempt smart arse comnents that only serve to make you look a bigger eejit.
I assumed the Iriah plantations in Virginia and NE were common knowledge but it appears your education was lacking.
after jan they wont have to pay travel tax.well done Michael O Leary.
Thanks for that link Michelle :-). However, I think the earlier poster meant that Irish slaves were working in southern plantations during the 19th century, not when America was a British colony. If that was the case I think Rhett Butler certainly would have given a d@mn ;-)!!
im amazed someone isn’t blaming the bondholders ?
True. Indentured would be more appropriate , had to work like slaves to pay off debts. Reason for all the Irish names in Martinique.
John. Irish “slaves” were also sent to Virginia to work the tobacco plantations. At that time Virginia was a British colony and not a part of the US. But I thought you would have been aware of this and hence not had to reply in such a manner to people who have given their time to answer your request for information.
Breaking News…….the Italians have surrendered.
Ontact Technical group. Urgently
Yes,when it was part of the ENGLISH colonies..Yes the Irish were treated like dirt,but then they got their chance to be just as xenphobic and rascist as any other WASP and still are as bigoted now than ever in the US.
Stop trying to revise history will you??
@John Flood.Go back to Elizabethien times,they were deported Irish criminals and rebels.find Irish names all over the Carribean .Barbados,and all the new world possesions of the English.
John it’s a fact try a history book for evidence.
Damien Dempsey has wrote a great song about this “To hell or Barbados” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLLH1i5_LlQ&sns=em
First off apologies to Michelle. I am not disputing Irish people were not sent to Viginia and Barbados as slaves. They were. The point I am trying to make is that it did not occur in Virginia and other southern states when they were part of the USA, which the poster at the top of this thread seemed to infer.
Meant Montserrat
Let me get this straight, So 200 years ago, irish were treated like slaves in southern plantations owned by the irish and now as a result you have an issue with america landing in shannon which in itself is beneficial to the area. Get a grip and get over it.
Most of the slave owners were “Irish” maybe some from a “Scots Irish” protestant background.The Irish at the time were treated just as bad as the slaves,the even were termed White “n!ggers’by the british/ yankee elites who were the vast majority of slave owners.
Yes John you are right about Montserrat but wait a minute, St Patrick you say, the Irish never kept slaves did they? Oh hang on, St Patrick? Was he not captured and brought to Ireland as a slave. Well who would have believed it, the big bad Brits weren’t the only ones doing slavery then. Amazingly in their hurry to confirm slavery in the new world by those big bad Brits, most of the posters have forgotten the Irish too were big on the slavery scene pre Norman invasion but many a slave driver in said US southern plantations had an Irish name and accent so lets nots get all higher than thou when it comes to slavery folks!
Paul true some were indentured but majority were sent by Cromwell to mid Atlantic and chained up with African slaves and shipped on to Virginia and West Indies. It was estimated that 650,000 Irish were sent this way in a 10year period around 1640′s. Connaght or Hell.
You’re welcome John:)
Can you provide a source for that number of 650,000? All my reading has the number at between 80,000 and 100,000 over the entire seventeenth century, not just the 1640s.
They are an interesting bunch, the Irish in the Caribbean – known locally as the redlegs. Keep to themselves, lot of inbreeding.
Wow thanks for that, I never heard of it before.
Look at Montserrat, there are black people there with Irish accents because the Irish slaves mixed with the slaves who were natives.
@dermot ! I blame the parents….or the bond holders !!!
Very true Ed. Just to add that Dublin was established in the 9th century as a Viking trading outpost at the heart of the Viking Empire. It’s main economic function…… Slave trading! We live in a different and ever changing world now and the sins of the past are just that…. Past!!! No nation is without its skeletons. Linking the landing of this plane to 18th century white slavery is nonsensical.
David Harris. Firstly it wasn’t me that linked it, I merely pointed out to others on here who were at their usual Brit bashing (this time it’s Cromwell and Irish slaves) that the Irish engaged in slavery too and as you say Viking Dublin is a good example and the famed Grannie Mhaol (pirate queen of Mayo) also kept slaves but you’re right, the past is the past but, alas we all know how some Irish people just can’t let go of the past especially if it gives them an opportunity to blame those big bad British bogeymen for all the ills visited upon the poor Irish and there are quite a few on here. I for one see no problem with a friendly nation (USA) who pays the Irish govt. -Shannon a lot of money to land their aircraft there, helping to keep the place open and guarantee jobs at the airport, landing an armed military aircraft there is no big deal in my opinion, the clue folks is in the ‘military’ part of the description. If the Irish government don’t want armed military aircraft landing in Ireland why offer the facility in the first place. The US would happily divert their aircraft and money to the UK or Iceland.
Ed. My comment was in support of your position. I know you did not engage in the slavery argument. I also share your opinions on the brit bashing 800 years of oppression merchants. 800 years of obsession is more accurate. Not to mention that colonial rule at most lasted 752 years. Ireland was never united pre Anglo Norman time anyway. It was an island of tribes ruled by warlords much like Afghanistan today. Enough said, I’m getting me coat now before the publican republicans arrive,
The Irish were enslaved by the British not the Americans. Certainly the Irish were treated badly in America as were other immigrants who made their home there but countless Irishmen and women were saved from almost certain death by America.
Yes the British sent them to the West Indies.
4 pound for an Irish slave 3 pound for an African slave the difference irish paid there way to get there
Well, if we have a bilateral issue on the Shannon Apron over an errant 40 mm cannon, I am sure ground crew could find a good Irish solution and cover up the offending exposed weapon. Divert all Lourdes flights to knock and it could be disguised as a large member using papier mache…… Miley Cyrus and the twerkers would then have a totem….hmm…that would bring out the Freudians……sooner handle the naked gun, me thinks….or wait…..even better, could paint the offending protruding barrel white with a red glowing tip at the muzzle end, and invite Ming Flanagan to inspect..?? (No smoking on the apron though!)….should be a decent cover up job??? ..hey, its what we do, when we want to, isnt it??
Are you for real…
No big deal. There are local people that are more dangerous than these planes
Sounds like shannonwatch people need to get real jobs instead of sitting around watching planes all day. Not exactly putting much back into the economy.
Jackass
Seeing as you wrote that around 9am, you mustn’t be up to much at work. Jackass.
Ireland has too many fruitcake organisations, action groups and other conspiracy freaks, we need to get them back to work.
Actually I’m just sitting in the lobby of my dentist’s office killing time by annoying you.
Which one of them doesn’t have a job exactly? They all pay taxes and their taxes, and yoursare subsisdising the US military use of Shannon because the US refuses to pay for the Ar Traffic Cotnrol Fees, or the extra security for their planes, using a civilian facility. In the UK and Italy at least, they refuel at military bases, rather than park next to civilian flights.
@Samuel
Are you trying to say that the Irish taxpayer suffers a net loss due to the US military flights??
Haha Morticia criticising conspiracy freaks?!!!! And he the one claiming climate change is one big conspiracy to get more taxes off us. something about pot… kettle…. black…
The subsidies for security and air traffic control fees go into the millions. The airport may get a profit, but the exchequer may in fact have a net loss. I don’t have the latest figures, but the pints of guinness and the bit of duty free are hardly keeping the economy afloat.
Perhaps I phrased my question badly. Do you think the Irish economy as a whole is better off or worse off as a result of the military flights?
Well their leader is a retired EX Irish army commandant who had a bit of a road to Damascus conversion to become a peace monger…He was the only Irish commander to order his men to fix bayonets against fellow Irish citizens as well down in the Curragh once. So when he is not indoctrinating up in UL he has plenty of time for the aul plane spotting and being a nusiance out in Shannon.
Road to Damascus? Odd thing considering he was a decorated UN peacekeeper,
I’d want to be armed going anywhere near Limerick!
Nice one!
lol funny that, seeing as Dublin is the most dangerous city in Europe.
Dalai – That’s only because of Nidge and he’s going to get it soon!
well nidge is one busy man, this week alone he;
shot 4 people,
raped a 15 year old in tallaght,
hacked a man to pices in gardiner street,
kicked a man to pulp and then drove over him in drumcondra,
Gave a man a couple of belts of a hatchet in rialto
robbed a post office in donnybrook
battered a man in crumlin,torched a few cars and pointed a loaded shot gun at a man and gardai.
and that’s just nidge……………..
As for fran………………………………………………………………….
The belt of a hatchet was in Terenure not Rialto.
Bigoted against your own countrymen ….Much Reg???
tommy c
there were two hatchet attacks, one in terenure and one in rialto, fran did the one in terenure, apparently.
I’d say you’re a real barrel of laughs Simon!
Not when it comes to idiots slagging my hometown for no apparent reason apart from trying to be a smartarse.
Shannon needs all the business it can get.
At least they didn’t bomb us by accident.
Blue on blue. Or would that have been blue on green…….
Get over it.
Well said.
No big deal.
Indeed, get over it.
What’s up with some peoples attitude to “get over it”?? We are a neutral nation with regulations determining the kind of foreign military aircraft that can use our airspace and airports. Stop being so f**king lax about your country. You are what is wrong with this nation.
Neutral in name only, or do you really believe that neutrality fairytale?
We are not neutral, we can choose to support what ever country we want. Our government has chosen to stay neutral in so far as we do not get involved in armed conflict but nowhere in the constitution does it state that we have to have a neutral stance on everything
Get a job karl
Well said Karl. The majority of irish people really dont care about this Island and what happens here. If they did, they’d actually protest and give a damn when yanks illegally land their warplanes in our airports. Ireland is a great place to bomb because of this.
And what are going to do??
Send up the mighty Irish airforce to intercept a US warplane that proably alone could take on all of the Irish defence force branches and demolish them?? So we should cause a major diplomatic incident with a major beneficary and ally just because a bunch of leftist clowns and anti American idiots can crow about being neutral??
Go to wonder about the teneous grasp of reality some people have here.
“Neutral” keep clinging to that old nugget why don’t you. Ireland as part of the EU is expected to play it’s part in it’s defence for a start. The only reason Ireland is neutral is so the Irish govt. can spend as little as possible on defence you only have to look at the paucity of the ‘defence forces’ to see that. There certainly won’t be any fear of an armed irish aircraft landing at Shannon anytime soon, as i’m not sure the 7 Pilatus PC9 trainers that pass for an air force could fly that far. The ones being lax are the ones who still believe in the fairytale of Irish neutrality. You need to look in the mirror before you start making accusations about what’s wrong with the country.
Maybe they’re here for the Gathering, unannounced, of course.
Oh they’ve said it won’t happen again?
Are there no sanctions for the US for breaching this agreement?
Sanctions ?!! You having a laugh right ? Apart from the runway in Shannon the USA don’t give to sh1ts about Ireland what are we gonna do declare war ? Waving an angry fist at the plane is what we can do at best.
I recommend a public bootin’ for the pilot
Maybe declaring war wouldn’t be such a bad idea.When we lose,America will then then embark on a winning the hearts and minds campaign.This of course will involve massive monetary investment and job creation.It’s just so crazy,it might work.
Haha brilliant stuff Niall
It worked for Germany, Marshall aid and all that, now they’re (finally) masters of Europe.
“The mouse that roared”.A film from the 1960s
Would love to know what the “huge risks” are?
Shannon airport accrues massive monetary benefits from US military flights in both landing fees and spend within the airport in the current economy it would be foolhardy to look that particular gift horse in the mouth!
The Irish govt waived the Ari Traffic Control fees (cos the US military didn’t want to pay them) so us taxpayers are subsisdising the US military at Shannon.
And if you would love to know what the huge risks are, why haven’t you checked? How about the airport and industrial estate evacuated when a US military aircraft declared it wasn’t sure of stopping on the runway due to hydraulic leak. (a plane overshooting the runway wouldn’t cause much damage unless it was carrying something very serious as cargo). There was a news blackout on that for 12 hours, until RTE reported it, stating AS FACT a claim from the US embassy that the aircraft was only carrying helium (a non flammable non explosive gas.) or how about the World Airways MD 11, that landed at Shannon with fire on board, and the US military refused to let the fire service on board, and were running around with fire extinguishers.
But I’m sure you knew about these things right? Cos you’re a concerned citizen and not some keyboard warrior, right?
When exactly were the airport and industrial estate evacuated??
Dec ’05
The “alleged” evacuation is only reported on indymedia and shannonwatch neither of which are exactly reliable news sources!
As someone who was working in Shannon at the time, and lives in Clare all the time I find it difficult to believe something like this could have actually happened without anyone knowing.
But if conspiracy theorists and men with tin hats say it happened, it must be true….
And I suppose it wouldn’t be big news if any other plane declared the same problem about overshooting the runway.But because it was a US MILITARY plane it is especially big news is it Samuel..you obviously know very little about aircraft emergencies and procedures??
Or the layout of Shannon??Because what you describe is a physical impossibility. The Runway 06/24 doesnt face into the industrial estate at all. .If they were overshooting on 06.They would end up in the Shannon estuary .Over shooting on 24 will dump you in a bunch of fields. A simple look on any google satellite pic will confirm this
Great to have some actual FACTS before you try annd make some propaganda from it.
It was reported on RTE as well Angela. Try paying attention next time, you’ll look less foolish.
Link please?
I searched and couldn’t find one
Quick choking on your spuds Simon. it was big news, because the Coast Guard was put on alert and the estate was evacuated. The runway does not go into the estate, and at 2 miles long, with plenty more grass at the end, a plane’s not in much danger of hitting anything. Exactly my point, if the worry wasn’t about collision, then it’s likely the concern was explosion. And unlike military airfields, there are no blast deflectors or special glass in the terminal at Shannon.
The whole reason it became newsworthy, was the blackout and the evacuation.
Whoever counted the military landings in the breakdown should go back to 5th class. I’m starting a thesis in our “neutrality” are we really neutral ????
we were neve brave enough to be neutral. Your thesis should be, were we ever a republic?
We have never been truly neutral. To do that we would have to equip and maintain our defence forces in a way that they could defend our neutrality. We have been passive pacifists fortunate enough to have benign neighbours and the indirect protection of NATO’s nuclear shield. And before you get out your red thumbs have a look at real neutral countries like Sweden and Finland and Austria. What size is their army, what equipment do they have, who arms them, what kind of foreign policy resources do they have. Then come back and red thumb if you are still convinced that we are neutral.
It’s not in our constitution, so no we are not. The government can choose a side in any particular scenario or can choose to stay neutral (which is a good choice to be able to make)
We are only ‘neutral’ because of the idiot DeValera and his hatred for the British.
At least their not welfare tourists
I am in a bad mood this lunchtime and I know autocorrect is a bitch so sorry.. they are = they’re, their means it belongs to them, there is a place, you are = you’re, your means it belongs to you, Yore is from the past. Maybe if you had not said welfare tourists I would have ignored the apparent outcome of a failed education system.
Bigger questions I have is why did 3 Egyptian military plans land in ireland?? If where going along with the hole human rights thing may aswell star with the worst offenders.
The sta-nav said they were over Clonskeagh
Could be worse. If they used Apple Maps, they might have landed in Donnybrook. Alan Shatter got very upset about that serious risk, so it must be true.
Do they use the weapons “in error” too?
I am genuinely at a loss to understand why some people are making such a big deal of this. A plane with a weapon lands in Shannon. So what? As I write there is a Russian warship with weapons galore berthed in Cobh. Naval vessels from various countries – with weaponry, naturally – visit Irish ports on a regular basis and nobody, rightly, bats an eyelid. So why is there such a fuss with weaponised aircraft?
Because it’s oh so popular now to bash America and everything it stands for, despite all it’s done and continues to do that benefits Ireland and all of europe. You have to be into America bashing if you want to hang with the cool kids and get green thumbs!
becuase the minister of foreign affairs said it was a mistake
He’s the mistake not the American plane!
A US military plane lands at Shannon and Shannon watch throws a fit along with all the other lefties.
If the Iranian red guard landed at Shannon airport the left would call it a cultural exchange program.
Shannonwatch, narrow minded clowns
Train spotters with attitude and maybe even hard-man tattoos
Name one of them you keyboard coward.
said the keyboard coward with no idea who Shannonwatch even are. what have you done for society other than moan on the internet?
Park your car in the wrong place you get a fixed fine regardless of excuses.
Park your military armed plane in the wrong place you get a fixed fine of €5,000,000!!!
Problem solved. Source of revenue for our cashed strapped government!
Enda probably won’t bring any shamrock now when he goes over for Paddys day by way of sanctions . Fair is fair.
Ah shur its grand
Nitwit
It’s a very loud tiny minority who are getting their knickers in a twist over this. These are warplanes without payloads and are NO more dangerous than an empty gun. Anyway, the idea of us being perceived as truly Neutral in a modern world is ridiculous. Small and insignificant yes, neutral never because people who live in the real world know that Ireland has to play it’s part and stand for something.
And yes ,I know I’m incurring the wrath of the left but I’m exercising my democratic right to express myself. Something you can’t do in all those countries they’re so fond of.
During the ‘Cold War’ when Aeroflot had regular stop-overs at Shannon on route to Cuba our comrades sent every single one of their nuclear bomber pilots over at least once so they would know how to navigate to the USA. All Aeroflot pilots at the time were also in the Russian Air-force. Ask anyone from shannonwatch, they know all about these things.
PS,no, they do not work for Ryanair now, they would be too old.
lets talk about now rather then decades ago,
2013 use in shannon
russia military planes 2
usa military planes 336
http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-10-15a.18&s=fixed+weapon#g20.r
So a plane landed at Shannon? Did the noise scare you? Maybe you could write a column on this for next weeks “Anoraks at Shannon” on the Journal ?
Just as well they (USA) did land 336 aircraft there, how much do you think that is worth to Shannon?, Without the business Shannon gets from the US military it would struggle to stay viable and that’s the reality of it.
its called human deceny, get some
Pilots should of been arrested. But no-one has the balls to do it in this country.
arrested for what John ??? Did they commit a crime ??
Right Behind you John.
They breached the terms of the agreement. No weapons. Simples.
What part of being armed without permission do you think is legal?
If you still can’t figure it out, go walk down O’Connell street with a shotgun, expressing confusion at the Garda for arresting you.
Arrested for breaking an agreement Michelle?
Mattoid, i’d imagine they could have been arrested for illegally possessing weapons in an airport?
Or am I mistaken in thinking that would be against Irish law? Tell you what, as an experiment, why don’t you walk into an airport with an assault rifle, then let me know how you get on?
Tell you what Adam, next time it happens why don’t you try making a citizen’s arrest on the pilot and see how you get on…
Adam, what weapon in the airport? The weapon was on the plane on the Tarmac!
Declan, if you were waving a gun on the tarmac at the airport what do you think would happen? Youd pretty quickly be arested.
Nooooooooooh Should have not Should of.. have is the verb…
Why not arrest the next Dutch submarine that pays a courtesy visit to Cork ,or a visiting Colombian sail training ship operated by their navy, they’ll all have weapons.
Some bunch of the anti war clowns tried that on a few US soilders who made the mistake of taking a walk in Ennis a few years back in uniform. The soilders were very bemused to be stopped by a bunch of greasy crusties who called the Gaurds,who told said crusties to fuk off and stop being silly langers,and apologised to the soilders and escorted them back to the hotel .
Thats how far it will go.
http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=26129
I assumed carrying weapons should have some consequence, doubt arrest would ever be on the cards.
In fairness. So What.
Lets call a spade a spade, it ain’t a US military plane, its a bankers military plane. That’s who sole interests it protects around the world, everything else is just window dressing 4 the misinformed. So it can f**k off out of our country.
Oh my word. A plane with a gun landed and took off again. Yawn.
When it comes to empires we have short memories or self-selective ones, we shouldn’t be helping the latest empire ply its trade, because we didn’t like it when that trade was aimed at us.
What kind of plane was it?
Thefile pic is that of a transport plane.
That does not matter, this is the US military, they have refitted c-130 hercules transport planes called the AC-130 which have a massive fixed gun protruding from its side.
Well it does matter… If the plane does not bear any weapons, then it is not an armed plane….. We need more detail.
Joey is American. Thats why he wont give out about his beloved US of A.
Yeah but the photo is of a C-17, there are not weaponised versions of that as far as I am aware. In the article it says that the aircraft had a fixed weapon so Im guessing that is has to have been B -52 or an AC-130. The Journal never relevant photos on these articles.
Shannon is a civilian airport no place for an armed airplane regardless of anything else that is why there are designated military airports in other countries to protect the general population from the weapons and to protect the weapons from the general population!
Would it have been able to land at Baldonnel?
I couldn’t care any less about this non story.
More like this Journal, it gets the ludramauns out of their stupor and the comments bring universal amusement. Anoraks at Shannon should be a regular feature.
Dem Yankees coming here to steal our wimmin with their coca-cola and chewin gum, probably drugged a gang of gals and dragged them off to Caintukky to have their wikead way with them.
What?
Limerick young wans would do anything for a Hershey bar.
Some people in Limerick also breach the agreement by carrying weapons. Anyway, not to worry Gilmore will tell them how cross we are. Ireland the mouse that roars,,,,,
Considering the USA spends $685 BILLION per year on its military, I see no reason why the Irish Government can’t slap a fine of at least $50 million at them, for this breach. God knows, this could greatly help out our health service….
Have u no shame.
So what a military plane with guns on it from a friendly nation lands at Shannon, big deal, given the current amount of money the US pays Ireland to land planes at Shannon and given the precarious nature of the airports finances and future we should be encouraging the US and others to land more planes there to keep the bloody place afloat. This is all about this Irish neutrality nonsense, which is a complete con anyway, all it does is allows the procession useless Irish governments to skimp on defence and maintain one of the lowest spends per GDP on defence in Europe, it’s not like Ireland has an air force to use Shannon is it. This ‘armed plane’ landing there is just an excuse for the looney lefties and ‘peace man’ brigade of numpties to moan and whinge about. Ireland needs the cash and if USAF planes can’t land here they will take their business elsewhere, i’m sure the UK would gladly make some airport available to them.
They took off again when they realised we don’t have any oil.
So its o.k for the irish to come hat in hand to the U.S and beg for the yanks to vist their shores,the same begging for U.S companies to make Ireland their Euro base.But god forbid they want to land a plane at one of your airports,its a wonder ye did’nt attack it with a hatchet like the last time.
Why do you think we own the US government something because a privately own US company comes here, especially considering many of them do so to avoid tax on profits made in the rest of the EU?
What exactly was the weapon?
Neither the aircraft type nor the weapon attached to it was disclosed by the Dept. But by fixed weapon, they are not talking about a pistol in the pilots holster. It means an armed aircraft, not an armed crew. (There have been rifles and pistols coming through everyday – this is different).
So in other words you don’t know but it upsets you anyway.
Probably a AC-130, not many planes with fixed weapons that would be visable.
Probably or maybe ? perhaps?
Monica would you quibble over whether the man waving the gun on the street had a glock or a smith & Wesson? What a pointless remark you’ve made.
Going by the date it seems to be an armed C-130 but sure it’s an AC-130, certainly a cannon visible on a pic of the C-130 I’m looking at, but awaiting confirmation.
Aircraft confirmed as US Air Force Hercules AC-130W reg 87-9288. Arrived at SNN 05/09 departed 06/09.
Gun obvious on the side.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanair/9717540156/lightbox/
Seeing that the dept hasnt mentioned what kind of aircraft it was it could have been anything .
Chuck Norris was on board ’nuff said
Seeing as there was a photo of it , and the reg was logged, then actually it was an AC 130W,
The nurse will be along soon with your meds Dave.
Typical stupidity of the Irish with there Witty answers and smart comments , when the facts are that yet again the Usa were throwing there weight and taking notice of other countries laws or wishes in regards to war , you see this is what has Ireland in the position it is in the people bow and take the beating great to complain indoors but won’t get off there ass and protest against what is quickly becoming joke of a country and and a soap opera for the rest of the world to laugh at !
Go out a protest Edward. We’ll all be along after you. Promise.
Its a country full of gombeen men,is it any wonder the english let it go.
What would you do Paul? Go out and bang a drum and shout? Take it to the UN? Seriously, who gives a
Panama are up to something.
So ye would have preferred if they crashed,get a life
Basically, this was yet another example of the hated American imperialists sending one of their warplanes to help the lackey Fine Gael/Labour Government to attack the downtrodden Irish proletariat. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Shannonwatch for spotting the invader and forcing the Government to back down from calling on the US Air Force to strafe the masses as they march in protest at the crippling austerity being foisted on them.
I wonder what the weapon was?
What a load of nonsense ! Sure, armed US planes have been in and out of Shannon and Knock for years !!!
Go on with yiz, it was only On Raglan Road here on a visit from Florida, he couldn’t land in the Coombe cause some gurrier had smashed all the lights.
The protestors in Shannon appear to be just as capable of lying as anyone, the serial number for the Aircraft they claim to be a W variant Hercules gun ship is actually allocated to a H Variant Hercules designed for transport which are from time to time lightly armed
An administrative error my arse, they landed for fuel to carry onto iran, Iraq or somewhere along there. The US have being using shannon as a fuel stop/hub since the war on iraq!
We should welcome our American friends to Ireland.
A disgrace. US war planes should not be landing on Irish soil. For shame.
we should have confiscated it,then we would have one military aircraft that works.
I really resent the fact that Sean Oregan hasn’t given me a gold star for my perfect spelling and grammar. I need somebody to hug me, pat me on the back and say, ‘there, they’re, their’.
Leave them alone the pilot got confused between Ramstein in German and Northolt in Englans so landed in Shannon. He didn’t mean it.
Support are troos
Let’s hope the pilot has gone to
SPECSAVERS
Sure it did !!!!!!
Bollox, pardon the language. the US are welcome to land what ever aircraft they want, as far as I am concerned, with whom ever they want on board. We are not and never have been, a neutral country. We are allies with the UK, the USA and the EU army should be boosted with an Irish contingent. Can’t understand these left wing hippies who have time to spot planes coming/going and collect their dole, then moan about “state collusion”. Can’t have it everyway lads
“It’s hardly surprising that the world’s largest and most sophisticated army had a fixed weapon on one of its aircraft. But it’s hard to imagine it happening accidentally or in error.”
Well they are military aircraft so weapons are found on many of them……as for error’s…..They did overfly their own nation a couple of years ago with live nuclear weapons……oopsies…..
have your say