Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum

This is somewhere I have wanted to visit for quite some time now and I am so glad we went today. I have passed through Foynes a number of times over the years. It’s a lovely small town, set on the banks of the Shannon Estuary but until today I never knew its historical significance in the foundation of transatlantic aviation in Ireland. Home of the world renowned Irish coffee, a base of innovation for the incredible contributions of Brendan O’Regan to Irish aviation and business. We were met by a wonderfully knowledgeable lady who takes huge pride and interest in her work. We had a lovely bit of over and back banter for a few minutes which set the tone for a nice, easy and very relaxed walk through the museum. I hope my pictures do a little justice to this gem of a place. I see a review here giving out about the portion of the museum that is dedicated to the late actress Maureen O’Hara. I find that very unfair as she was a patron of the museum, an avid supporter and her husband was the last pilot to fly out of there. Upon her passing her family made sure the museum received a huge amount of her belongings to display and to help celebrate her life and ties to the airport and museum. Because of that I also got to see a fabled Oscar statue on display. Anyway, I digress. The tour is full of fascinating aeronautical artefacts, navigational instruments, radio equipment, uniforms and a rich collection of memorabilia from a bygone era. The partial plane on display is so far removed from what we know now but so era correct that it’s fascinating. On the upper floors there are fine testaments to the maritime industry that thrived along the estuary. The Foynes Flying boat and Maritime museum is well worth the visit, has taught me things I never knew about the area and is a place I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone.

An outstanding museum telling the story of a brief chapter in aviation history. There are factually informative displays and artefacts combined with engaging personal stories and newsreel footage. The added bonus is the connection with actor Maureen O’Hara and her aviator husband Charles Blair. Personal memorabilia from her career is thoughtfully curated capturing old Hollywood glamour. If that wasn’t enough, a maritime museum also helps visitors understand the importance of the Shannon Estuary past and present and the chance to view the river from a platform at the top of the building. A welcoming cafe serves satisfying meals and snacks and of course an Irish coffee. An ideal excursion by TFI bus 314 taking 1 hour from Limerick City. Friendly team working in the museum, cafe and gift shop. Really enjoyed my visit.

I'll start with the cons: 1. Expensive 2. I was going to a museum about aviation, but ended up at the Maureen O'Hara Museum 3. The museum only has a piece of a seaplane, a fuselage with a glider and a piece of a wing. I understand that there probably wasn't room for the entire plane. Despite this, I saw a lot of new things, for example, the cockpit and interior of the 30s, old radio transmitters and communication equipment. I like it all very much. I also recommend visiting the aviation museum in Shannon. I know about the Irish actress Maureen O'Hara, I was even in the village of Cong where the movie "The Quiet Man" was filmed. Please forgive me, but I still haven't seen that movie. However, I was glad to see a real Oscar. Special thanks for the hologram and the coffee history. Don't pass by this room.

Overall, the museum is quite good and has a lot of information and is quite interesting. That being said, there is a huge section about an actress that does not really fit the theme (I understand she donated, etc, but still a big portion of the museum). Also, there are 3 simulators 1 was marked as under rapids, but all 3 were broken, which was a shame. Also quite pricey all things considered when parts are broken reductions should be made.

We had a wonderful family visit to the Flying Boat & Maritime Museum. It was the perfect stop, as we spent about an hour here, which felt just right for keeping the kids engaged. They really had a good time, especially getting to see the full-size replica of the flying boat up close. For the adults, it was a genuinely interesting learning experience about a unique chapter of Irish aviation history. Highly recommended for a family outing that's both fun and educational.

It was interesting to find out about trans-Atlantic travel before and during the war. It's the only place in the world to get an idea of what the Boeing 314 flying boat was like inside. A lot of Maureen O'Hara memorabilia in the museum and also the home of Irish Coffee.

What an odd mix of things going on at this museum, cafe. The host who taught our group how to make Irish Coffee ☕ was awesome! He also led us on a private tour, answered all our questions and told us a bunch of interesting stuff too. The place is WAY bigger than it looks on the outside. Commerates and educates about flying on the Shannon River, boating, and celebrates a local celebrity. There's a fantastic view at the end, make sure to go upstairs, it's a bit easy to miss. You won't miss the massive sea plane replica, great for pictures.

A fantastic museum, with so much to see and do. The staff were super friendly and delighted talk about the history of the area and anything linked with the museum and surrounding area. The Flying boat museum itself is brilliantly realised and highly informative. Amazing interactive piece’s throughout. The flight simulators were a huge hit with the family. The connection with the Maureen OHara museum is lovely, and as a big movie buff this slice of Hollywood/Irish history was amazing. The Yankee Clipper itself is so well done and the interior is outstanding. We spent nearly three hours in total here. Taking a break for a quick bite and an Irish coffee or two in O’Regans. Then finishing off with the smaller but no less informative maritime museum. If you are visiting Limerick at any stage I highly recommend a visit to this Museum.