THE founder of the Save Cork Airport Facebook page confirmed this week that she had shut it down.
BY SIOBHAN CRONIN
THE founder of the Save Cork Airport Facebook page confirmed this week that she had shut it down.
Siobhan McCarthy from Cork – whose parents are from Beara – set up the page after reading an article in the Southern Star’s Archon column about the declining numbers using the airport.
But last week, the airport’s managing director Niall MacCarthy criticised the page, describing it as ‘hugely unhelpful’.
As a result, Siobhan decided to take the page down, admitting Mr MacCarthy’s comments were not the only factor.
‘In recent weeks the comments, messages and emails have taken a nasty turn.’
She said there was a feeling among some that the Facebook page – which had over 24,000 ‘likes’ – had led to cancelled flights and calls from potential airlines thinking the airport was closing.
Meanwhile, figures released by the Irish Aviation Authority this week showed a further decline in numbers using the airport – down almost 12% this year compared with the first four months of 2014.
Last month Mr MacCarthy called for more local support for the airport.
‘The South of Ireland has massive potential to increase visitor numbers,’ he said.
