Tony Ryan, the founder of Ryanair, was honoured yesterday at the first National Aviation Awards ceremony.
The inaugural award was presented to Mr Ryan’s family by Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar at a reception in the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, Co Limerick.
Representatives from the aviation and airlines sector, as well as leaders in tourism, politics and local government also attended the event.
Accepting the award on behalf of his late uncle, Capt Simon Ryan, a pilot with Ryanair, said Tony Ryan had left an immense aviation legacy, both nationally and internationally.
Brian Cullen, chairman of the board of Foynes Flying Boat Museum said it was appropriate that the first National Aviation award should go posthumously to Mr Ryan.
He described him as an Irishman who had made a singular and significant contribution to the development of aviation both in Ireland and around the world.
“We had always intended that Dr Ryan would be the first recipient of our National Aviation Award because, apart from being our first financial supporter, he established Guinness Peat Aviation in Shannon, from which many
other leasing companies have sprung, and he also founded Ryanair, which opened up the skies to people not only in Ireland but throughout Europe and further afield,” Mr Cullen said.
He described him as an innovator and a proud Irishman.