Making the most of Foynes
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
The village is only a short walk from the berth.
Most passengers travel to Limerick, 35 km from Foynes.
Besides the museum, shopping and dining facilities are available in the village within a brief walk of the berth.
A short coach journey reaches Listowel, a traditional Irish market town with a wide selection of places to shop and eat.
Foynes Flying Boat Museum is the port's most popular attraction, recounting the beginnings of aviation between 1939 and 1945, when the earliest transatlantic services flew from Foynes. Housed inside the original air terminal, it displays a full-size "Yankee Clipper", the Pan Am flying boat used for the first historic flight.
Nearby places
Limerick sits beneath the imposing, historic King John's Castle on the bank of the River Shannon. The city successfully combines old and contemporary surroundings, and its cultural and leisure options include cinema, theatre, museums, concerts, guided walks, boat trips and many sporting facilities.
Ireland's West Coast Shannon Region offers many high-quality attractions, among them Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Ballybunion Golf Course, ranked 11th worldwide, Hunt Museum, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and Foynes Aviation Museum.
Money
The Republic of Ireland belongs to the Eurozone and uses the Euro, symbol €. Independent cash machines, or ATMs, are widely available in every town and city, while credit cards are accepted by 90% of businesses. Irish ATMs generally impose no charge, although your own bank may add a fee.
Staying connected
English is spoken throughout Ireland, but Irish, or Gaeilge, is its first official language.
Opening Hours and
Offices open 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Shops trade 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday, extending to 8pm on Thursday; Saturday hours are 9am to 6pm, while Sunday hours are limited. Pubs open 10.30am to 11.30pm Monday to Thursday, closing at 12.30am on Friday and Saturday; Sunday hours are 12.30 to 11.30pm. Pubs close on Christmas Day and Good Friday.