At the outset of increased tensions in the Middle East, a local journalist, John Hayes, originally from Hospital, viewed happenings first-hand from his home in the United Arab Emirates.
“Previously, all thought this was an Iran/US war that would never hit our shorelines, so nobody envisaged this. And now that our airspace is closed, and nobody can get in or get out, it does feel like everyone is on edge, there is a lot of panic, and to be honest with you, it’s a scary place right now,” stated John, aged 38.
Only days before the weekend, John’s parents, Ger and Julia, left Dubai after a holiday.
“Tensions were kind of high last week, and my parents had been here for four months, so I thought, ‘let’s get you on a flight back to Ireland, it seems like things might go south’, and when things go south in this region – very quickly everything closes down, so they are luckily back in Limerick. “I have been in contact with them, they’ve been immensely worried but I have put their minds at ease.”