You’ll know when you’ve been on a pilgrimage flight aboard Ireland’s national airline carrier Prayer Lingus.
Because of the clatter of the rosary beads and chatter of the Angeluses.
And I heard it too for myself on my way out.
To Santiago de Compostella with Camino Ways for the Camino, Lourdes and Fatima.
And which was the backdrop for every car journey I took with my Donegal mammy from Glasgow back to God’s Own County.
It worked too as we surely had divine intervention to keep us safe with my Mum’s driving.
And how distracted she was as she passed by every town and pointed them out to me.
Knock on Heaven’s Door
All of which rubbing away at rosary beads and penitent pilgrims will be in rich supply.
On the back of Aer Lingus‘s new route from London Heathrow to Knock-Irl West.
Back in the day you could only get to Knock in Co. Mayo in the East of Ireland by road.
Unless, of course, you were Our Lady, Saint Joseph, Saint John the Evangelist, angels and Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God.
Who, of course, had their own transport at hand.
Spending my summer holidays as I did with my Dublin cousins out in Galway
Days were also set aside to visit Knock which set me off on a lifelong interest in pilgrim sites.
Now as much as Ireland changed with the Celtic Tiger the ‘saints’ part of the moniker The Land of Saints and Scholars is still upheld.
Flights of angels
Not least at Aer Lingus who give every plane a saint’s name and christen it before it takes flight.
All of which will ensure you double protection.
The inaugural Aer Lingus flight EI916, operated by an Airbus A320, departed from Ireland West Airport at Knock for Heathrow at 1.05pm yesterday afternoon.
Welcoming the new route, Judith Cassidy of Tourism Ireland said: “This means that GB visitors can travel directly from London to Ireland’s dramatic Wild Atlantic Way coastline in less than two hours.
“Here they can experience and enjoy the rugged beauty of the west coast of Ireland.
“As seen in the Oscar nominated Banshees of Inisherin.”
And it’ll be well worth the €253.03 sample return fare we found on the website.
Particularly when you factor in the priceless blessings you’ll garner at Knock…
We don’t call them Prayer Lingus for nothing.
