AirNav Ireland’s North Atlantic Communications Centre at Ballygirreen, Co. Clare, is celebrating 90 years of continuous service to global aviation.
Since 1936, the centre has ensured the safe passage of millions of aircraft crossing the North Atlantic, cementing Ireland’s critical role as the gateway between Europe and North America.
Operating beyond the reach of traditional radar and VHF radio coverage, the centre utilises High Frequency (HF) shortwave radio to connect with aircraft crossing the Atlantic. By bouncing radio waves off the ionosphere, Ballygirreen’s team overcomes the curvature of the Earth to maintain constant contact with pilots over the ocean.
Today, approximately 70 personnel, including more than 50 radio officers supported by technical, engineering and administrative teams, manage air-ground communications across the Shanwick Oceanic Control Area, handling up to 1,800 flights daily.
AirNav Ireland also works in close partnership with Avians, Iceland’s air navigation service provider, to deliver High Frequency (HF) radio communications services across both the Shanwick and Reykjavik Oceanic Control Areas. Together, the two organisations provide seamless communications coverage for aircraft operating across vast areas of the North Atlantic, supporting the safe and efficient movement of thousands of flights between Europe and North America every day. This long-standing partnership is an example of the international cooperation that underpins modern transatlantic aviation.
Speaking at a special anniversary exhibition showcasing historical photographs and memorabilia, Mr Gerald Caffrey, Chief Executive of AirNav Ireland, said it was a proud moment for staff, past and present, and their families to celebrate nine decades of dedicated service to international aviation.
“As an island nation, Ireland relies heavily on aviation to connect people, business, and cultures worldwide. The unwavering commitment of the team at the AIrNav North Atlantic Communications Centre over the last ninety years has made our airspace one of the safest and most efficient in the world.”
“Today, AirNav Ireland continues to invest in the people and technology that support our operations in the Mid-West. The expertise of our radio officers, engineers and technical specialists, combined with advanced communications systems and our partnership with Avians in Iceland, ensures we continue to provide a world-class service to aircraft crossing the North Atlantic. As aviation continues to evolve, Ballygirreen remains at the forefront of safe and efficient international air traffic management,” he said.
The history of Ballygirreen is deeply rooted in local family traditions and seafaring heritage, with many early radio officers transitioning from careers in the Merchant Navy.
Radio Officer Mike Kirwan joined Shannon Aeradio in 1981, following in the footsteps of his father, Dermod, one of the original 1936 marine radio officers who helped establish the station to guide pioneering flying boats.
Tim O’Mahony trained as a radio officer at the Marine Radio School in Limerick and served on global trade routes with the Marconi Marine Company. He joined Ballygirreen in 1971, serving across both the main communications centre and the Urlanmore transmitter station until his retirement in 2013.
Established in October 1936 on a 90-acre site near Shannon, the station initially provided ground communications via Morse code for transatlantic flying boats operating out of Foynes. Following the expansion of commercial aviation after World War II, a move to the current purpose-built facility in 1951 coincided with the industry’s transition from Morse code to voice communications.
In 1966, a landmark agreement between the Irish and UK Governments merged regional oceanic responsibilities, pairing air traffic control at Prestwick with radio communications at Ballygirreen to create the joint Shanwick operational framework, which remains a cornerstone of North Atlantic air traffic operations today.
The station’s signal is powered by its companion transmission facility at Urlanmore, featuring a vast antenna array, including five 225-foot log-periodic antennas that beam high-power audio across the Shanwick and Reykjavik control areas.
Over nine decades, the centre has monitored the evolution of commercial flight, from the pioneering flying boats and Douglas DC-3 aircraft of the 1930s, through the jet age and the era of the Boeing 747, to today’s modern long-range fleets.
Adding a fitting touch to the celebrations, Aer Lingus’s oldest surviving aircraft, the Iolar (Irish for eagle), registration EI-ABI and dating from 1936, conducted a fly-past over the event on the morning of the anniversary celebrations.
