Ryanair Dublin to the Irish bases after training: Cork, Shannon and Knock, the small base life, the Irish contract and why some crew choose the small ones

Ryanair Dublin, four years, and the Irish base threads on here are Dublin and the Stansted one. The Irish regional bases get a line in the allocation thread. Here is Cork, Shannon and Knock from the crew who are there, because Danny put them on his form and should know what they are.

Cork

A mid sized base on the south coast, a handful of aircraft, the UK routes, the sun routes in summer, a crew room that is Cork and knows it. Home every night; night stops rare. The crew live in the city and the commute is 20 minutes. The base is small enough that the base manager knows every crew member and the number one course comes when the base needs it, which is less often than Dublin or Stansted. The crew who are at Cork chose it: it is home, the city is lovely, the rent is below Dublin's.

Shannon

Smaller again, on the west coast, with the US preclearance at the airport (which Ryanair does not use but the crew see), the UK and a few European routes, and a winter that is thin. The crew live in Limerick or Ennis or the villages. A base where everyone knows everyone and the roster is predictable because there are few aircraft to be unpredictable with. The crew at Shannon are the ones who wanted the west and the quiet.

Knock

The smallest, in the northwest, a couple of aircraft, the UK diaspora routes (Knock to Stansted and Luton and Manchester are full of the Mayo and Sligo diaspora year round), a summer sun route or two, and a crew room that is a kitchen. The crew are from the region. The base is the regional airline inside the giant.

The Irish contract

Ryanair DAC for the Irish bases: the Irish employment contract, the Irish tax and PRSI, the Fórsa recognition, the Irish pension auto enrolment. The pay structure is the Ryanair one in euros. The small bases pay the same scale with fewer sectors in winter and a smaller commission because the sun routes are fewer.

Why some crew choose the small ones

Home. The crew at Cork, Shannon and Knock are from Cork, Clare and Mayo and they wanted to fly from home. The small base life: the known faces, the predictable roster, the city or the county that is theirs. The trade: slower promotion, a thinner winter, fewer routes, and the sense that the career is at Dublin or Stansted if you want it to move. Some crew do two years at a small base and transfer to Dublin for the number one course. Some stay 15 years at Cork and are the base.

For Danny and the Irish applicants

If you put Cork, Shannon or Knock down and you get one: you have the home base and the small base life, and the career at Dublin is a transfer away when you want it. If you get Dublin: you have the big base and the small bases are a transfer away when you want home. Ryanair Ireland is five bases and one contract and the crew move between them.