If you ever wondered who in Ireland has more planes than Ryanair, or if you were looking for a reason to visit Shannon Airport in western Ireland, now you have the answer: Michael Kelly’s collection of 1,500 diecast aircraft replicas is on display at the airport.
Kelly, who says he spends up to €25,000 a year on his collection, and perhaps half a million over the years, has now found a permanent home for it at the airport where his fascination started. In a video (below), he recalls that “It started when I was a little boy. My Dad, God rest him, used to bring me to Shannon Airport…. whatever was between me and aircraft, it was just magic.”
Over the years, his collection of precision 1:200 models grew out of his home and into a barn and then out of the barn to Shannon, where the exhibit had its official opening last week. Avgeeks…you know who you are…go!
Shannon was my first airport transfer stop in the middle of the night heading for a Cold War location in Germany. All I remember was the long line for the water fountain since our military charter forgot to resupply drink water for 250 soldiers on an nine hour flight.
I’ve been on a flight where they forgot the Coffee. Gave us free WiFi instead.
“Let them drink Coke” as Marie Antoinette would say.