Foynes flying boat & Irish coffee museum
Travel back to the 1930s and ’40s, when Foynes played a pivotal role in establishing commercial transatlantic passenger flights. Learn the history of Flying Boats and the diverse range of people who arrived and departed from Foynes through a comprehensive collection of historical and interactive exhibits and memorabilia.
B314 replica
Board the only B314 flying boat replica in the world. All the commercial flying boats landing in Foynes featured upscale amenities, but the B314 had true ocean liner luxury. Some westbound flights took 17 hours to reach Botwood before refuelling and departing for New York. This amazing Flying Boat had a 14-seat dining room, honeymoon suite, spacious flight deck catering for up to seven crew members, deck quarters for the crew, and sleeping berths for all passengers on transatlantic flights. A one-way ticket from New York to Foynes at the time cost $375.
Airlines
This exhibit includes many gems of the museum's aviation collection, showcasing how Foynes was at one time the epicentre of commercial aviation. Pan American Airways, British Overseas Airways Corporation, and American Export Airlines were the three main commercial airlines flying into Foynes. The artefacts on display depict the story of the courageous crews who navigated the monstrous flying boats across the Atlantic, as well as the ground workers who lived in Foynes.
Flight Simulators
Challenge yourself to fly the B314 in realistic flight simulators. The flight simulators provide an illuminating experience of what it was like to pilot a flying boat. Safe flight!
Maureen O’Hara
Explore the life and legacy of legendary Irish-American actress Maureen O'Hara. The exhibit is dedicated to this Hollywood icon, who starred in several classic films from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Her husband, famed aviator Charles Blair, flew flying boats into Foynes from 1942 to 1945.View her Oscar and other awards, costumes, red carpet outfits, accessories, correspondence with celebrities and world leaders, passports, and other personal possessions and memorabilia.
Irish Coffee
Enter our 3D holographic show recreating the night in 1943 when Chef Joe Sheridan invented Irish coffee in Foynes for weary passengers returning to the airport restaurant after bad weather forced their New York-bound flight to turn back. Learn about the chef and how Irish coffee reached a worldwide audience. Complete the experience with an authentic Irish coffee for yourself.