After 52 hours of travel, Cork GAA referee Shane Scanlon says he is relieved to be back on home soil, having been stranded in Dubai for almost a week due to air strikes across the Middle East. Newcestown native Mr Scanlon was in Dubai to officiate at the Middle East GAA hurling league finals, which took place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Recalling the 52-hour trip to Ireland, Mr Scanlon told The Irish Examinerthat the travelling group encountered delays crossing the border from the UAE into Oman. Mr Scanlon, the son of well-known C103 GAA reporter Michael Scanlon, said he was pleased to be back home in Cork following a longer than planned trip to Dubai. An estimated 14,000 Irish people are living in Dubai, a further 2,000 in Abu Dhabi, and more than 2,000 in both Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Source: Irish Examiner March 08, 2026 20:03 UTC