Michael O’Leary treats Ryanair passengers to free drinks after Grand National win
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary treated passengers to free on-board drinks after his horse Tiger Roll won the Grand National at the weekend.
The horse became the first runner since Red Rum to win two Nationals on the trot on Saturday and O’Leary celebrated on the flight back to Dublin.
He announced on the intercom: "As is traditional on evenings when we win the Grand National and Cheltenham, we’re having a free bar on board this flight.
"I got some criticism last year by limiting it to one drink per person so that the crew could get to the end of the aircraft but now you can have two drinks per person."
But he warned that anyone ordering food would be ‘personally offloaded’, adding: "You can buy your food in Dublin."
In order to ensure everyone got two drinks on the 45-minute flight, the 19:25 service out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport was delayed until 20:45, but O’Leary said: "I would say it was the happiest delayed flight ever.
"We try not to encourage delays in Ryanair. It was largely full of trainers and jockeys coming back from Aintree. It was terrific."
He told the Irish Sun: "We won about £500,000 so I had to give one back on a Ryanair flight. It was a great atmosphere on the plane. Everyone was enjoying it."
On board were winning jockey Davy Russell and Tiger Roll’s trainer, Gordon Elliott.
O’Leary told the passengers: "I want to congratulate Gordon Elliott who is sitting in row 6C and Davy Russell who is sitting down at 8D."
Pic credit: Dublinlive.ie
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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