More than 250 Dublin-bound passengers finally arrived in Ireland on Sunday, February 16, after their United Airlines flight departed from Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey on Thursday night, February 13.
On Thursday night, United Flight 23 from Newark to Dublin was diverted to St. John's International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada to "address a medical issue with a passenger onboard," a spokesperson for United told IrishCentral on Monday.
According to CBS News, the Dublin-bound flight was diverted to Newfoundland about three hours into the route.
Medical personnel met the aircraft on arrival at St. John’s and transported one passenger to a local hospital, the spokesperson said on Monday.
The spokesperson added: "While high winds kept the aircraft grounded, we provided hotel accommodation and meal vouchers for our customers.
"With the weather improved, the flight departed Sunday morning from St. John’s to Dublin and arrived at 4:18 pm (local time)."
Passenger Phil Magness chronicled the travel nightmare on social media. He was largely critical of United's handling of the diversion, though he did give credit to the local staff at St. John's.
I'll credit the local airport workers in St. Johns, which has been doing the best they can to help & got us transportation to a hotel. By contrast, United has completely dropped the ball and has done nothing to assist passengers except send us outdated, inaccurate text updates. https://t.co/YnnEBqhymU
— Phil Magness (@PhilWMagness) February 15, 2025
Also among the 259 passengers and 12 crew members on board the diverted Dublin-bound flight was Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, whose great-great-grandparents came from Co Cavan and Co Leitrim.
Before the flight finally made its way to Dublin on Sunday, Cardinal Dolan said Mass on Saturday evening at the Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland.
"Thank you, thank you very much for your gracious hospitality, for taking us in," Cardinal Dolan said in his homily.
"Father Cruz and I and a good number of folks who are in your congregation this evening, we left Newark, New Jersey on Thursday on our way to Dublin.
"About halfway over the Atlantic there was a medical emergency and we ended up with you.
"And, we're still here," he said with a laugh.
"We're unable to get out because the inclement weather.
"Even though there might be some impatience and frustration in our inability to get to Ireland, we are sure grateful, very grateful, for the hospitality you have all shown to us.
"I have learned that you're kind of used to it here in St. John's, Newfoundland, that this happens often since this is kind of the last stop before a plane goes over the Atlantic."
Perhaps most famously, Newfoundland housed thousands of passengers who were diverted to St. John's in the aftermath of 9/11 in 2001.
"So, thank you very much, thank you," Cardinal Dolan said.
Cardinal Dolan went on to say how he learned that the first Archbishop of New York, John Joseph Hughes, went to Newfoundland in 1855 to preach when the cathedral was dedicated.
"So, there's sort of a bond," Cardinal Dolan said.
He added: "And, it's said, that he was so inspired by the beauty and the majesty of this Cathedral of St. John the Baptist that he said 'We're going to build a good one in New York, too.'
"And now we've got St. Patrick's Cathedral.
"I hope yours has paid off, we're still working on ours," the Archbishop joked.
Thank you to the gracious people of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland, who took me in after my flight to Ireland was grounded. It was my joy to offer Mass in the cathedral that it’s said inspired Archbishop John Joseph Hughes to build @StPatsNYC!…
— Cardinal Dolan (@CardinalDolan) February 16, 2025
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