The pilot of a small single-engined plane which began leaking fuel as it crossed the Atlantic on Friday resumed his journey yesterday after barely managing to reach the runway at Shannon Airport.
In what one rescuer has described as a "great miracle story at the end of 2004", the new plane, which was travelling from Canada to the Netherlands, spluttered to a stop on the main runway at Shannon late on Friday night.
Rescue services in Ireland and Scotland had begun preparations for a search-and-rescue operation when the plane started leaking fuel.
Residents of Inish Mór, the largest of the three Aran islands, waited with their car lights trailed across the local airstrip amid fears of a possible emergency landing being attempted there during an electricity power cut on New Year's night.
Coastguard units and lifeboat crews from Co Mayo to Co Kerry were alerted and fire brigade crews along the Co Clare coast rushed to beaches at Spanish Point and Kilkee after the pilot radioed that he might not be able to make it all the way to Shannon.
At about 10.50 p.m., and with only about two gallons of fuel left, the plane crossed the Irish coastline at Kilkee. It flew up the estuary to Shannon, where airport emergency and medical crews were positioned on the runway.
The plane touched down at Shannon at 11.02 p.m. and was surrounded by emergency vehicles. As it taxied off the main runway, its engine spluttered to a stop.
The pilot, Mr Al Walls, whose company delivers aircraft for a number of manufacturers, had given his pilots Christmas off and had decided to fly the new Cirrus SR22 to the Netherlands himself.