Casement Aerodrome

Casement Aerodrome (Aeradróm Mhic Easmainn) or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airfield to the south west of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole airfield of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes. It is the property of the Irish Department of Defence.

History


The airfield was first laid out in 1917 and was used by the Royal Flying Corps (soon to become the Royal Air Force). It was part of the RAF's Ireland Command.

The aerodrome was originally run by two pilots from the Royal Air Force. The airfield was the one from which the first successful east-west Atlantic crossing by a Junkers W33 aeroplane, the Bremen, took off on 12 April 1928 with Baron Hünefeld, Hermann Köhl and Captain James Fitzmaurice as co-pilot, as well as the first Aer Lingus flight took place on May 27, 1936. It was also the destination at which Douglas Corrigan landed on his famous 'wrong way' flight across the Atlantic.

In February 1965 Baldonnel was renamed Casement Aerodrome in honour of the Irish nationalist Roger Casement, executed for treason by the British in 1916.

In 1995 it was suggested that it be used as a second commercial airport for Dublin, especially for low-cost carriers such as Ryanair.

Anti-war activists have accused the Government of allowing the Aerodrome's use as a US military air base, with recent protests leading to four arrests and in March 2002, Michael Smith, the Minister for Defence, confirmed that since September 2001, 22 US military aircraft had landed at the aerodrome.

Queen Elizabeth II landed at Casement Aerodrome on 17 May 2011, beginning her state visit to Ireland.

Other uses
Baldonnel Aerodrome is also the home of the Garda Air Support Unit.