Shane Clifford from Annacotty, County Limerick, was on the first United Airlines flight that departed from Shannon 20 years ago to the U.S. As a huge coincidence he was on the a flight recently from Newark that marked the anniversary of the first to go to Newark. He didn’t realize it until his pilot announced to the plane passengers that the aircraft would be getting the water cannon salute and it was then it dawned on him that he was on the very first flight from Shannon to the United States 20 years ago. He had left after graduating from University Limerick in 1998 and never intended to stay in the States but life took a different path and he is now married with three children. He was joined on the flight with one of American football’s best known stars, JJ Watt, of the Houston Texans.
