South East Needs More Than The Redevelopment Of Waterford Airport

For a long time, the South East region of Ireland, which consists of five counties- Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford, Wexford and Southern Tipperary- has raised its concerns over a lack of government funding as compared to other counties. While the anger is shared, clear biases are seen particularly in Waterford City. So much so that it has gotten its own title from locals and TDs: ‘The forgotten county.’

South East Economic Monitor, a branch of South East Technological University (SETU), the School of Business, published another economic annual report on Ireland’s SE region, which highlighted ‘no significant growth in five years across the region.’ The 2025 report, independently published by John Casey, Dr Ray Griffin and Dr Cormac O’Keefe, revealed the highest unemployment rate in the region, brain drain and stalled public infrastructure.

Speaking of public infrastructure, a new wave of joy has surfaced across social media since the announcement of the Waterford Airport redevelopment project this summer. One of the most promising projects that has been sold to Waterford is a functioning airport that caters to South East counties, which supposedly would save up to 2-3 hours to reach Cork or Dublin Airport. Or, in a case of emergency, one would be taking an evening bus to Dublin Airport from Waterford, to spend the whole night in the airport to catch a morning flight the next day. Not quite an experience for someone who bottled down the idea of Europe as a “first world country.”  

For almost a decade, the plan was delayed and halted until last December, when an anonymous private entity bought the property for merely 50 grand, later revealed to be a US-based billionaire, Kelcy Warren. It’s not his first buyout of Irish property; in fact, he bought Castletown Cox Estate in 2017 and has recently got planning permission for a private whiskey distillery, all in County Kilkenny.

Now, there is an extensive report done by Alison McIntyre on her Substack page. The most concerning correlations she made were between the mineral deposits that sit in Waterford County and the potential transport of these minerals to sustain US war crimes.

Nevertheless, Waterford Airport is, quite literally, marketed online by Fianna Fáil as “regional economic revolution.” Though if an economic revolution is limited to a certain group of people, then it’s not a revolution; it’s a display for eyes. The airport is situated far closer to the sea than to any other town, with only two connecting roads and no public transport facilities at the moment.

This year alone, 25 route buses were delayed in January, and later, two crucial Bus Éireann buses connecting Waterford to Dublin and Waterford to Wexford were suspended. According to the Department of Transport 2022 report, Waterford City and County operates just 160 buses. Even County Cavan runs more buses, despite having half the population of Waterford.  Yet, Waterford is the most “livable city” in Ireland, as per the Irish Times.

The effects of a broken transport system are also evident in the south-east rail connectivity. The recent Government announcement of the Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, which is backed at the European level by the Trans-European Transport Network, completely missed out the south-east region of Ireland. In a report by Waterford News & Star, an organisation that campaigns for functional railways, South East On Track, says, “It is disappointing that the infrastructure deficit facing the South East and Waterford City will persist for several more years.”

This oldest city in Ireland has continued to lack the basic transport requirements of a city, but the redevelopment of Waterford Airport could be a chance to finally receive the attention it has long been denied. However, the corruption surrounding this airport may leave the current residents dismayed, especially since Mark Zuckerberg started fancying the South East of Ireland.