'A Wing and a Prayer' - The Story of Knock Airport

"We're building an airport", Monsignor James Horan tells Jim Fahy of RTÉ News, in 1981. The bold story of a 'simple' country priest, with a dream to build a 7500ft runway for an international airport, on a "foggy, boggy hill" in and around Barnacahoge and Barnalyra, Co. Mayo. A feat few thought possible. It began as a one off news item, and develops into a charming documentary, written by Fahy and directed by Blackman over the years. The changing governments, all get caught up in the chaos, and almost nobody in power wanted it to go ahead. This controversial campaign to put Connacht on the map, faces setback after setback. But none great enough, to stop this "old man in a hurry" from getting his airport for the province, opened to the public by 1986.

Top Cast

Monsignor James Horan

Self - Knock Parish Priest

Charles Haughey

Self - Fianna Fáil (four time) Former Taoiseach

Pádraig Flynn

Self - Fianna Fáil Minister of State Department of Transport, 1980-81

Albert Reynolds

Self - Fianna Fáil Minister for Transport 1979-81

Jim Mitchell

Self - Fine Gael TD Minister for Communications 1984-87