Sharon Corr, the violinist from the Celtic family band The Corrs, claims she was prevented from boarding a Ryanair flight due to traveling with her violin.
On Monday, Corr was scheduled to fly from Madrid, where she resides, to Dublin for a rehearsal. She took to Instagram to share her experience, alleging she felt “humiliated” by the budget airline because of her musical instrument.
“Today I was booked on a Ryanair flight. I got up at 6 in the morning. I was not allowed on the flight because I had my violin. I was in the airport for 7 hours,” she wrote on social media. “I had to return home after searching for my checked-in bags. Humiliated, angry then crying as only a good woman can do.”
Corr explained that her trip to Dublin was for rehearsals and to prepare for an upcoming tour. She expressed her frustration by calling out Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary: “Michael O’Leary, shame on you.”
Ryanair responded to Corr’s claims, denying that she was stopped from boarding because of her violin. A spokesperson for the airline told the Daily Mail that Corr was “required to pay a standard gate baggage fee to place it in the hold of the aircraft” as the violin exceeded the standard cabin bag dimensions.
“This passenger was not refused travel from Madrid to Dublin,” the spokesperson stated. “This passenger refused to pay the standard fee and instead chose not to travel on this flight.”
Corr contested Ryanair’s version of events, maintaining that she was not allowed to board. She wrote on Instagram: “I offered to buy a seat for my violin in the hold as obviously it is a fragile instrument. I was refused by them to travel.”
This incident is not the first public disagreement between Ryanair and musicians. In July 2023, the airline faced backlash from musicians after a ground handler was filmed mishandling a row of guitars.
