Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum

The capabilities of transatlantic travel were tested here in the 1930s with flying boats travelling to and from Newfoundland, and by the 1940s transatlantic passenger flights in aeroplanes planes were made possible. In Foynes today, the Aviation Museum located in the original terminal building is the main event for plane enthusiasts. Offering a unique insight into the history of transatlantic travel, the museum is equipped with a flight simulator, radio and weather room and a full-size replica of a B314 – a flying boat popularly used before the Boeing 314 became sought-after for transatlantic travel.

As well as the Flying Boat Museum, Foynes is home to the Maritime Museum where you can learn about the maritime history of the River Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. Did we forget to mention that Foynes is the birthplace of Irish coffee? One night in 1943, a flight travelling to New York had to return to Foynes due to stormy conditions. To warm these disappointed passengers, Chef Joe Sheridan who worked at the Foynes terminal restaurant at the time made them the first-ever Irish coffee. Make and taste this delicious drink for yourself in an Irish Coffee masterclass at the Irish Coffee Centre at the museum.