A crowd of around 10,000 people has protested in the centre of Limerick today at the Aer Lingus decision to scrap its Shannon-Heathrow service.
Church leaders gave their support to local and opposition politicians and trade unions in demanding government action to keep the route open.
The 'Save Our Slots' rally saw the Mayors of Limerick city, Clare, Tipperary North and the Chair of Limerick County Council joining forces with the Atlantic Connectivity Alliance and the Shannon Action Group.
They all fear the withdrawal of the air link will have a serious affect on both business and tourism in the mid-west.
Aer Lingus is to transfer the Heathrow slot as part of a regional hub it is setting up in December serving nine routes out of Belfast.
The Mayor of Clare, Cllr Patricia McCarthy said: "This rally is an opportunity for the ordinary people to show the Government their total disgust at the manner in which the West of Ireland has been treated by the Government."
Mayor of Tipperary North, Cllr Jim Casey added: "Our council is totally behind the Save the Slots campaign because Tipperary North is dependent on the connectivity that the Shannon-Heathrow service gives the major businesses based here."
Labour TD for Limerick East, Jan O'Sullivan, said there was a ground swell of anger at the decision which had been made stronger by the revelation this week that the Government had known the Aer Lingus decision was imminent since mid June and had done nothing to try to keep the route open.
The TD said: "Doesn't this cock-up make it all the more incumbent on the Government, now, to call an EGM of the Company to address the blatant disregard for regional policy and for the assurances given at the time of privatisation that the axing of the route represents?
"The revelations of the past week have strengthened the resolve of all of us in the region to succeed in our goal to restore the Heathrow connectivity. The huge turn-out to-day sends that clear message to the Government and to Aer Lingus. We are not going away and we are not giving up."
She added: "We want a meaningful response from the Government. We have had enough of the flowery sympathetic speeches. We want the government to use its clout on the board of the company and insist the Shannon-Heathrow route is maintained."
The Catholic Bishops of Limerick and Killaloe and Ardfert and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick issued a joint statement calling on the Government to take whatever steps necessary to "reverse the very damaging decision to abandon the Shannon-Heathrow flights."
The Bishop of Killaloe and Ardfert, Dr Willie Walsh, represented his church colleagues on the rally platform.