It led to a career in the golden age of air travel [“I’d go to Darwin for lunch and Singapore for dinner”] and eventually to a successful travel business founded “by accident”. Four decades later, she returned to Northern Ireland in her 60s for what was meant to be a short stay. Rae grew up hearing stories from her father, who worked as a horserider in Australia as a young man. “Someone had said to us if you join an airline you can go home [to Northern Ireland] cheaply.” Rae joined local domestic airline Ansett Airways. “I’d go home [to Northern Ireland] for three or four days.

Source: The Irish Times April 07, 2026 09:31 UTC