A proposal to change the name for Ireland West airport in Knock in County Mayo to Horan international Airport was defeated at this week's meeting of Castlebar town council.
Independent Councillor Michael Kilcoyne had proposed that the council name the airport after its founder Monsignor James Horan this year, the centenary of his birth, which was May 5 1911.
Speaking at the meeting Cllr Kilcoyne said, “Myself and himself had our disagreements but I never ceased to admire his work. Many of the world's most famous airports are named are famous figures so why not Knock?”
The airport was known by a number of previous names including Horan International Airport, Knock International Airport and Connaught International Airport.
Some councillor's opposed the name change.
Fine Gael's Brendan Henegan claimed that the airport is the 'jewel in the crown” of the west and its current brand name brings instant recognition.
He added that “if it's not broke why fix it.”
While the motion for the name change was supported by Fianna Fail and independents, it was defeated by 6 votes to 3.
Monsignor James Horan had campaigned relentlessly for the building of the airport in the region and had embarked on a tour of several countries to raise funds to ensure it was built.
He died shortly after it was opened in August 1986.
He is also credited with inviting the late Pontiff, Blessed Pope John Paul II, to Knock Shrine in 1979. Last year his life and work was chronicled in a musical written by Terry Reilly and local broadcaster Tommy Marren entitled A Wing and a Prayer.
It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Castlebar last November and has been performed a number of times again this year to mark the centenary of Monsignor Horan's birth.
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