Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum

The Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum tells the story of the 1930s and 1940s, when Foynes in west County Limerick played a pivotal role in establishing commercial transatlantic passenger flights. Since 1989 the museum has brought these stories to life in the original Foynes Airport terminal building.Its centrepiece is the only B314 flying boat replica in the world, which visitors can board to see the ocean-liner style luxury of the aircraft. The First Flights exhibit introduces pioneers including John Alcock, Arthur Brown and Charles Lindbergh, while the Airlines section shows how Foynes was once the epicentre of commercial aviation. The radio and weather room holds original equipment from the flying boat era, and The War Years covers life in Foynes during the Second World War, when most flying boat activity took place.Visitors can try flying the B314 in realistic flight simulators and enjoy panoramic views of Foynes and the Shannon Estuary from the reinstated control tower, restored in 2011. The site also includes a maritime museum about the River Shannon, a Maureen O’Hara exhibition, a 1940s cinema, the Irish Coffee Centre, a gift shop and O’Regan’s Restaurant.The museum opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, with last admission at 3pm. Guided group tours need advance booking for at least 10 people. Shannon Airport is about 50 minutes away.