While a little hit and miss I have found that in recent times airports are more strict on allowing walking poles in cabin luggage. Ideally if you could meet a few fellow pilgrims at the airport, put a number of poles in the same checked in luggage and share the cost.
The following are extracts of T & C from Ryanair & Aer Lingus websites:
Extract from Ryanair Terms & Conditions
8.10 PROHIBITED ARTICLES
8.10.1 Passengers are not permitted to carry the following articles into the security restricted area and the cabin of an aircraft:
8.10.1.1 Guns, Firearms & Weapons; any object capable, or appearing capable, of discharging a projectile or causing injury, including all firearms (pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, etc.) Replica and imitation firearms, Component parts of firearms (excluding telescopic sighting devices & sights), air pistols, rifles and pellet guns. Signal flare pistols, Starter pistols, Toy guns of all types, compressed air and CO2 guns such as pistols, pellet guns, rifles,ball bearing guns, industrial bolt and nail guns, cross bows, catapults, harpoon and spear guns, Animal humane killers, stun or shocking devices, e.g. stun guns, tasers, stun batons,cattle prods, ballistic conducted energy weapons (laser), lighters shaped like a firearm.
8.10.1.2 [b]Pointed/edged Weapons & Sharp Objects; pointed or bladed articles capable of causing [/b]injury, including axes & hatchets, cleavers, arrows and darts, crampons (grappling iron, hooked bar of iron, or plate with iron spikes used in mountaineering), harpoons & spears, ice axes & ice picks, ice skates, knives with blades of more than 6 cms including lockable or flick knives, ceremonial, religious and hunting knives, made of metal or any other material strong enough to be used as a potential weapon, meat cleavers, machetes, open razors and blades (excluding safety or disposable razors with blades enclosed in cartridge), sabres, swords and swordsticks, scalpels, scissors with blades more than 6 cms as measured from the fulcrum, ski and walking/hiking poles, throwing stars, tradesman's tools with a blade or a shaft of more than 6 cms that have the potential to be used as a pointed or edged weapon, e.g. drills and drill bits, box cutters, utility knives, all saws, screwdrivers, chisels, crowbars, hammers, pliers, wrenches/spanners, blow torches.
8.10.1.3 Blunt Instruments:[b] any blunt instrument capable of causing injury[/b], including tennis rackets, baseball and softball bats, clubs or batons - rigid or flexible - e.g. billy clubs, blackjacks (truncheon of leather covered lead with flexible shaft), night sticks & batons, cricket bats, golf clubs, hockey and hurley sticks, lacrosse sticks, kayak and canoe paddles, skateboards, billiard, snooker and pool cues, fishing rods, martial arts equipment, e.g. knuckle dusters, clubs, coshes, rice flails, num-chucks, kubatons, kubasaunts.
Extract from Aer Lingus General Conditions of Carriage.
While not as detailed as the Ryanair site, they appear to be basically the same.
8.3 ITEMS UNACCEPTABLE AS BAGGAGE
8.3.1
You must not include in your Baggage:
8.3.1.1
Items which are likely to endanger the aircraft or persons or property on board the aircraft, such as those specified in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations, and in our regulations (further information is available from us on request);
8.3.1.2
Items the carriage of which is prohibited by the applicable laws, regulations or orders of any state to be flown from or to;
8.3.1.3
Items which are reasonably considered by us to be unsuitable for carriage because they are dangerous, unsafe by reason of their weight, size, shape or character, or which are fragile or perishable having regard to, among other things, the type of aircraft being used. Information about unacceptable items is available upon request.
8.3.2
Firearms and ammunition other than for hunting and sporting purposes are prohibited from carriage as Baggage. Firearms and ammunition for hunting and sporting purposes may be accepted as Checked Baggage. Firearms must be unloaded with the safety catch on, and suitably packed. Carriage of ammunition is subject to ICAO and IATA regulations as specified in 8.3.1.1.
THE FOREGOING ALSO REFLECTS THE CONTENTS OF THE DUBLIN AIRPORT AUTHORITY PASSENGER AND CABIN BAGGAGE LIST OF PROHIBITED ARTICLES NOTICE.
Slán.
Buen Camino.
Des. :lol:
I keep only the essentials in the carryon; the rest (including my poles) goes in a sports duffel bag that's put in the hold.
