Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum

About the museum

In the late 1930s and during the Second World War, Foynes on the Shannon estuary was the eastern terminus of the first scheduled transatlantic passenger flights, which were flown by flying boats because land planes lacked the range. Pan American Airways and BOAC made the first proving flights from Foynes on 5 July 1937, and the village became one of the busiest civilian airports in Europe during the war. Shannon Airport opened in 1942, traffic fell away, and the flying-boat station closed in 1946. Foynes is also known as the place where the Irish coffee was first made in 1943 by the chef Joe Sheridan.

The terminal building later housed a college for the teaching of Irish, and the Port Trustees bought it in 1980. The museum leased part of the building in 1988 and opened in 1989, with the actress Maureen O'Hara as its patron.

Today the museum has two parts. The Aviation Museum shows the story of the flying-boat era with a full-size replica of a Boeing 314 flying boat that visitors can board, the original radio and weather room, flight simulators and displays on life in Foynes in the war years. The Maritime Museum looks at the River Shannon between Limerick and Loop Head. There is also an exhibition about Maureen O'Hara, an Irish Coffee Centre and a restaurant.

Highlights

• Full-size Boeing 314 flying boat replica that visitors can board
• Original radio and weather room of the 1940s air terminal
• Control tower restored in 2011, with views over the village and the Shannon estuary
• Maritime Museum on the River Shannon, with boat displays and a model of the estuary
• Exhibition about Maureen O'Hara and the Irish Coffee Centre

Permanent exhibitions

• Aviation Museum – The Boeing 314 replica, the radio and weather room, flight simulators and displays on the pioneers of Atlantic flight, the airlines and Foynes in the war years, in the original air terminal.
• Maritime Museum – The story of the River Shannon between Limerick and Loop Head, with boat displays, a model of the estuary, dock-worker life and the story of the Windsor Castle ghost ship.
• Maureen O'Hara Exhibition – An exhibition about the Hollywood film career of the museum's patron.

Founded

1988

Admission & discounts

Prices are for general entry; online booking fees apply. The adult ticket covers ages 18 to 65.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

There is wheelchair access to the ground floor. Guide and service animals are allowed; other pets are not. An accessibility welcome guide is available on the website, and access questions can be sent to the museum, which aims to reply within five working days.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

The museum describes itself as fun for the whole family, with a family ticket, a family picnic ground, flight simulators, touch-screen displays and a replica flying boat to board.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

The Irish Coffee Centre and O'Regan's Restaurant are on site (restaurant open 09:30 to 17:00), and the museum has a gift shop. Toilets and a baby changing unit are available, and there is a family picnic ground.

Events & venue rental

The museum has a 1940s-style luxury cinema that is used as an event space.

Plan your visit