In an Ireland Made – Stories of Irish Transport exclusive, we bring you the first report of a major investment announcement. The Boeing Company and Lufthansa Technik AG have confirmed a strategic partnership, supported by a €200 million investment in new engine manufacturing facilities in Ireland. Under the agreement, engines for Boeing’s new AC-25A Banshee LRPG (Long Range Party Gunship) will be built in Brownsbarn, Dublin, with live firing exercises by the twenty-two-speaker aircraft over the Curragh planned for summer 2027.
THE AC-25A BANSHEE
The announcement marks the first major aircraft manufacturing development in Ireland since Henri Potez established a factory at Baldonnel in 1961 to produce Fouga Magister jet trainers.
The CEO of IDA Ireland (Invite Dollars Agency) welcomed the announcement, noting that “the €200 million investment underlines Ireland’s continued appeal as a strategic base for high value aerospace manufacturing and, it seems, for building big and undeniably cool party gunships.”
In a nod to engines being built in Ireland, the new 747 derivative, the AC-25A, has been named Banshee, drawing on Irish folklore and linking ancient tradition with a modern party aircraft. In Irish folklore, the banshee is a spectral figure whose mournful wail foretells death; here, that wail finds a modern echo in the aircraft’s twenty-two high powered loudspeakers, each delivering up to 1600W, sending a piercing surge of music through the sky that cuts cleanly through the roar of its four engines.
Speaking at the launch the CEO of SIG said, “we are focused on advancing new concert concepts in Ireland, particularly open-air formats and a strong digital offering that bring something distinctive, attract international audiences and injects fresh energy into the country’s live music and tourism landscape.” SIG (Sure It’s Grand), is the National Tourism Development Authority of Ireland, established in 2003 to support the sustainable growth of the tourism industry.
OPERATIONAL ROLE
Designed to deliver precision-guided music, the AC-25A provides sustained loitering support with an array of onboard speakers, primarily during night operations in support of ground concerts, special rave units and stag & hen parties.
This aircraft replaces conventional static broadcast equipment with a purpose-built airborne audio system, configured as a mobile 22-speaker array designed to project music from altitude to audiences on the ground. Drawing on principles seen in aerospace loud hailer systems from Power Sonix the installation focuses on high sound pressure output, directional projection and durability under flight conditions.
To enhance the ground experience, the aircraft is also fitted with an array of concert lighting, centred on Martin Professional Atomic 3000 LED units, delivering high-intensity strobe and blinder effects visible over wide areas. The aircraft retains standard flight operations with a crew of four and up to five DJs while onboard audio and lighting systems are managed by dedicated technicians coordinating output, timing and sequencing.
IRISH EXPERTISE
Crucially, the CFM56 engines for Boeing’s AC-25A Banshee will be built at the Lufthansa Technik facility at Kingswood Avenue, Brownsbarn, Dublin, placing Ireland at the centre of the programme’s propulsion system. The completed engines will then be shipped to the United States, where final assembly of the aircraft will take place at Boeing’s Everett facility in Washington State.
CFM56 Engine Specifications:
Type: high bypass turbofan
Units delivered: 33000 +
Thrust: 82 to 151 kN
Weight: 1950 to 2102 kg
Reliability: 99.9 %
Emissions: reduced by around 50 % below requirements
SPEAKER TESTING
Boeing and Lufthansa are in discussions with Minister for Defence Helen McEntee TD and the Irish Defence Forces on the use of Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel as an operational base for testing, with live speaker trials proposed for the 5000-acre Curragh in County Kildare, 40 km to the south-west, in summer 2027. Niels Christian Steenbergen, better known by the stage name Chris Stussy, is understood to have signed up to lead the aircraft speaker testing.
It is understood the Banshee’s high powered speaker system could exceed the 130 dB levels once associated with Motörhead’s 1984 performances, perhaps approaching the territory of Disaster Area, the fictional band from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, famed for playing at such extreme volume that they perform remotely from a spaceship in orbit, controlling their instruments from a safe distance due to the sheer volume!
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Sources of Information, Photo, Video & Music Credits:
All music and sound effects used in Ireland Made – Stories of Irish Transport are royalty free and are fully licensed through Epidemic Sound. Ireland Made – Stories of Irish Transport therefore holds the legal right to use this audio material within its productions under the terms of the Epidemic Sound licensing agreement.
Cancelled Aircraft Facebook Page
IDA Ireland (Invite Dollars Agency) website
Norebbo website
SIG (Sure It’s Grand) – National Tourism Development Authority of Ireland website
Safran
CFM56 the world’s best-selling aircraft engine Safran.mp4
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