Shannon Airport had early links with the French Concorde when Air France carried out much of the flight-crew training for the supersonic jet after it had received its certification towards the end of the 1970s and early in the 1980s.
There was deep concern last night among some of the older Aer Rianta and air-traffic control staff who were involved with the training programme when they learned of the crash.
Scores of French flight crews being retrained from piston engines to the new aircraft were based at the nearby Shannon Shamrock Hotel.
Most of the flying was done by daylight, and there were no complaints about noise.
Later, however, when some night flying was being carried out, there was a series of complaints from people living in the new town of Shannon.
However, these complaints were not sustained because the supersonic flying was carried out over the Atlantic.
A number of local staff, including this journalist, made trips on the Concorde to Iceland, which was sometimes used as an alternative landing out of Shannon.
British Airways did some training at Shannon, but most of it was carried out at British airports.