stan ogden
Full Member
cheers Soundy
(This, below, is a post I grabbed from our knowledgeable friends on Skyscraper City)
Sites in contention were Ahanesk (couple of miles outside Midleton on the Cork side) and the now current airport location (Ballygarvan).
Research was done a couple of years (for the history of Cork airport book) to check if political interference or brown envelopes was involved when choosing the site. No proof was ever found.
The reason Ballygarvan (current location) was chosen over Ahanesk (Midleton area) is fully outlined in an independent expert's report discussed in an Oireachtas debate (1955):
"Ballygarvan was selected because it was reported to be superior to any other possible site in the Cork area in respect of proximity to Cork City, suitability of ground for [518] the necessary runways, clearness of approach and feasibility of installing lighting and radio aids. It was reported that on the Ahanesk site the grades on the runways would be severe as the ground is undulating, and that the approaches from the north and north-east, which pass over a range of hills attaining a height of 600 feet, would frequently be hazardous in the weather conditions prevalent in the area. Meteorological conditions at Ballygarvan were found to be less favourable than at Ahanesk, but any disparity between the two sites which arises from meteorological conditions can be nullified to a great extent by the use of up-to-date navigation and radio aids."
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1955-11-09/11/
The site location was agreed on by both FG and FF at the time, except for a Deputy Corry who represented the Midleton area
