Foynes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Foynes
Faing (Irish)
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Town
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Foynes Harbour
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 Foynes
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Limerick |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population
(2022)
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512 |
| Irish Grid Reference | R251512 |
Foynes (/ˈfɔɪnz/; Irish: Faing) is a town and an important port in County Limerick, in the midwest of Ireland. It is located on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary, which is a wide river mouth leading to the sea. The town is built at the edge of some hilly land. In 2022, about 512 people lived in Foynes.
Contents
Foynes as an Important Seaport
Foynes has been a port for a very long time. It was first studied as a port in 1837. Today, it is home to a major deep-water seaport. This means it has very deep water, allowing large ships to dock easily. The port is run by the Shannon Foynes Port Company. This company was formed in 2000 by joining the groups that managed the ports of Limerick and Foynes.
It is expected that more ships will use Foynes Port in the future. This is because the port in Limerick, which is further up the river, is being changed into shops and homes. There is a railway line that goes from Foynes to Limerick. However, it is not currently used for trains. The company that runs Ireland's railways, Iarnród Éireann, focuses more on passenger trains. This means all the goods arriving at Foynes Port are moved by road.
The Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) is the second largest port in Ireland. It handles over 10 million tonnes of goods every year. These goods pass through six different terminals at the port. There are also plans to build a special terminal nearby to import LNG (liquefied natural gas). This will make the port even busier.
Foynes's Role in Aviation History
In the late 1930s and early 1940s, airplanes that took off from land could not fly all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. Because of this, Foynes became the last stop on the eastern side of the Atlantic for seaplanes. Seaplanes are aircraft that can land on and take off from water. During World War II, Foynes became one of the busiest civilian airports in Europe.
Famous pilot Charles Lindbergh flew surveying flights for seaplane operations in 1933. A special terminal for seaplanes was started in 1935. The first test flights across the Atlantic happened on July 5, 1937. A Pan Am seaplane flew from Newfoundland, and a BOAC seaplane flew from Foynes. Both flights were successful, taking about 12 to 15 hours. Later, seaplanes flew regularly from Foynes to places like New York City, Southampton, and Montreal. The first non-stop flight to New York from Foynes happened on June 22, 1942, and took 25 hours and 40 minutes.
Foynes Flying Boat Museum
Things began to change for Foynes when Shannon Airport was built in 1942. This new airport was on flat land across the Shannon Estuary. The seaplane station in Foynes closed in 1946.
Today, the Foynes Flying Boat Museum is located in the old terminal building. The museum opened in 1988. One of the most famous things about Foynes is that Irish Coffee was invented there! It is said that it was created to help cold and wet passengers feel better during the aviation days in the 1930s and 1940s.
Brendan O'Regan was in charge of catering at Foynes from 1943 to 1945. He later worked at Shannon Airport, where he created the world's first duty-free shop. The Foynes Flying Boat Museum has many items from that time. You can see the original radio and weather room with its equipment. There is also a full-size model of a Boeing 314 flying boat, which is a type of seaplane.
Transport
Rail
Foynes railway station opened on April 29, 1858. It was the end point of a railway line from Limerick. The station stopped carrying passengers on February 4, 1963. However, it continued to handle freight (goods) until October 30, 2000. The railway line from Limerick to Foynes was then "mothballed" in 2001. This means it was kept in working order but not used.
The Shannon Foynes Port Company has been talking with Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) about reopening the line. They want to use it again for moving large amounts of cargo. In 2015, the project received €800,000 in funding from the European Union to study how to reopen the line. In early 2023, it was announced that work to reopen the line was expected to start in February 2023.
Bus
Bus Éireann route number 314 offers a few trips each day from Foynes to Limerick. It stops in places like Askeaton. In the other direction, buses go to Glin. On weekends, there is a service to Tralee, and in the summer, a service to Ballybunion.
Places of Interest
Besides the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, there are other interesting places to visit.
- The Knockpatrick Gardens are about 2 km (1.2 miles) from Foynes. These are award-winning gardens that cover 3 acres (12,000 square meters). They offer great views of the Shannon Estuary.
- Foynes is also close to Adare, which is a national heritage town.
- The city of Limerick is also nearby.
- The main way to get to the region is through Shannon Airport.
- Foynes is located on the N69 "coast road." This road leads to Tarbert and Tralee in County Kerry.
Sports
The local sports club is called Saint Senan's GAA club. Its players come from Foynes and the nearby town of Shanagolden. While the club has sometimes had hurling teams, it is mainly a Gaelic football club. In 2003, Saint Senan's won the intermediate championship. In 2006, they almost won the Limerick Senior Football Championship but were narrowly beaten. The team that came before Saint Senan's, called Foynes, won its only senior championship in 1907.
See also
In Spanish: Foynes para niños
