Dublin Airport Authority has said that it is “currently working on a new approach” to facilitate the blessing of planes at Dublin Airport, just days after it emerged that the 75-year-long tradition had come to an end.
DAA, the company which owns and operates Dublin Airport, was responding after Gript Media reported that secular campaigner, John Hamill, formerly of Atheist Ireland, had requested the right to hold a non-religious blessing at the airport. A spokesperson for DAA said that DAA is “currently working on a new approach to facilitate the traditional Christmas blessing of the planes,” and that once details are available, they will be announced “later in the year.”
As this publication reported this week, the 75-year-long tradition, which sees a Catholic priest attend the airport on Christmas day, when no planes take off or land at the airport, to bless all planes, will not take place this year.
Campaigner Mr Hamill told Gript that the airport’s chaplain “has been informed that he won’t be allowed back,” while saying he never wanted the event to be stopped.
“Needless to say, we never requested or wanted the event to be cancelled, only that we could be allowed to participate. Seems a shame,” Mr Hamill said.
“It demonstrates how terrified the public bodies are about anything to do with religiosity, now ditching a 75 year tradition to avoid explaining,” the campaigner added.
DAA, which also owns and operates Cork airport, denied that the decision to abandon the annual blessing of the planes came about due to Mr Hamill’s communication with Ireland’s biggest airport, but was instead due to a change in security regulations.
The move prompted widespread attention and criticism, including from Deputy Michael Collins.
Cork TD Collins, Head of Independent Ireland, told Gript that he was “disappointed” in Dublin Airport, as he called on them to reverse the decision.
“I am very disappointed. The blessing of the planes is an important tradition, as is people blessing their homes. It’s a very old but loving tradition of Irish people, and we feel our homes and oue property is safe once it’s blessed. I feel this is a very small thing for Dublin Airport and DAA to allow to happen.
“It can happen in a safe environment, and it always has. There is no issue there. I am certainly very disappointed with Dublin Airport regarding the decision they’ve made, and it seems like it’s another typical move away from Irish tradition. This is something we are seeing as Irish people, bit by bit,” the TD said.
“I can guarantee you if there was a poll done, 70 to 80 per cent of Irish people would see no harm whatsoever in continuing the traditional blessing. I would ask the Dublin Airport Authority to review their position. This is not a real health and safety concern. There is clearly another reason for this, and in my opinion, the airport are not being straight up about this.”
In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for DAA, operator of Dublin Airport, said: “Due to recent changes to security protocols, airside access is now restricted to airport operations only…For this reason, non-operational activities can no longer be facilitated airside.”
Their spokesperson added that the decision to stop the blessing had “nothing whatsoever to do with a secular request” but had rather occurred due to “a change of security regulations.”
While the move has been the source of backlash, it has also been welcomed by some secular campaigners.
Taking to X, Dara Hogan, a Board Member of the Humanist Association of Ireland, said that he was “delighted” to see the development, adding: “We must do more to separate church from state.”
Delighted to see that Dublin Airport has abandoned its annual Christmas tradition of allowing a Catholic priest to bless the planes after John Hamill (formerly of Atheist Ireland) requested the right to hold a non-religious blessing. We must do more to separate church from state.
— Dara Hogan (@DaraHogan) April 4, 2024