Mohan Sinha
17 Feb 2026

DUBLIN, Ireland: A Co Kildare family, which was locked in a loo for almost an hour at Dublin Airport and had to be rescued by firefighters, was awarded compensation.

Judge James O'Donohoe was told in the Circuit Civil Court that Owen Nolan, his daughter Ailbhe (9) and sons, Hugh (5) and Max (2), had been trapped for 50 minutes even as their airline continuously called for them to board their holiday flight to Spain on May 30 2022, barrister Karen Nolan (no relation) told the court.

Nolan, who was in court with solicitor Emily Brown from a Newbridge law firm, said the children's mother was very upset. She spent her time calming the children and trying to stop the airplane from leaving without them. In the end, firefighters had to break open the door.

The family's lawyer said the children were getting more and more stressed after airport maintenance workers twice failed to free them from the bathroom, which had both child and adult facilities. The family lives in Kilcullen, County Kildare.

They had pulled the emergency cord in the bathroom to alert staff, but it took about 50 minutes for firefighters to arrive. The firefighters then told them to stand in a corner and protect themselves, as they were about to break down the door.

The judge was told that the entire frightening incident occurred because the inside door handle came off as the family tried to leave the bathroom.

Although they eventually managed to catch their flight, the experience affected their week-long holiday.

The court also heard that Ailbhe is now 13 years old and that her two brothers are nine and six. Earlier, a District Court judge had approved settlement payments of 7,000 euros for each boy.

The family's lawyer said the Dublin Airport Authority agreed to pay 21,000 euros in compensation, including expenses, to Ailbhe because she suffered serious distress from the incident. Her father accepted the offer on her behalf and was satisfied with it.

The judge approved the payment, saying the compensation amount was fair.