Shannon Region

Shannon Region [1] is a region of Ireland.

Counties

• County Clare
• County Limerick
• County Tipperary

Cities

• Limerick - The only city in the region and the third largest in Ireland.

Towns

• Adare — perhaps Ireland's prettiest small village
• Ballyvaughan - Poulnabrone Dolmen and the Aillwee Caves
• Banagher
• Doolin - the Doolin Cave
• Kilkee - Loop Head and lighthouse
• Lisdoonvarna
• Nenagh
• Shannon
• Shannonbridge

Other destinations

• Aran Islands
• Bunratty - Bunratty Castle & Folk Park
• Burren National Park
• Caherconnell - Caherconnell Stone Fort
• Clonmacnoise - Monastic Site
• Craggaunowen
• Querrin - Querrin shore

Understand

Shannon Region

Get in

By plane

There is only one international airport in the Shannon Region, Shannon Airport or (IATA: SNN). This airport serves destinations within Ireland, Europe and the United States mainly. Shannon Airport is one of the three big international airports in the Republic of Ireland along with Dublin Airport and Cork Airport. Shannon Airport is ideally located to serves the entire Shannon Region with close proximity to Limerick City, Shannon and Ennis.

The single largest aircraft operator at Shannon Airport is Ryanair who operate over 30 different destinations from Shannon Airport. Ryanair carries 60% of the total passenger numbers who travel through Shannon Airport annually. Shannon Airport has pre border clearance for the United States which means that passengers travelling to the United States from Shannon Airport will have their travel related paperwork to be completed before their flight.

By train

The main rail routes into the Shannon Region are the Dublin and Cork to Limerick line. The Dublin line travels from Heuston Station in Dublin to Colbert Station in Limerick while the Cork Line travels to and from Kent Station. Limerick can be reached from Rosslare, Bally Brophy, Ennis and Tralee by train but requires a change of train mid trip.

Rail services in Ireland have in recent years received huge investment in Ireland. The Irish Rail service is still in need of significant investment, but for those wishing to avoid driving in Ireland; trains provide a very good option. The rail network in Ireland is operated by Irish Rail.

By car

The main roads into the Shannon Region are focused on Limerick City. From Limerick City it is possible to take radial roads to connect with the Irish road infrastructure. The following roads are the main routes in and out of the Shannon region with Limerick City as the focal point.

• N7 - Limerick to Dublin
• N18 - Limerick to Ennis
• N19 - Limerick to Shannon
• N20 - Limerick to Cork
• N21/22/23 - Limerick to Killarney
• N24 - Limerick to Waterford
• N66 - Limerick to Ennis / Galway
• N69 - Limerick to Tralee

Like the rail network in Ireland, huge investments on a continuous basis have been put into improving the road network in Ireland.

Get around

Car Rental

When it comes to Car Rental in the Shannon Region, the region is well catered for due to the fact that all the major car rental companies have locations at Shannon Airport and a small number have locations in Limerick City.

See

There are many castles to explore around the region, try Bunratty, King John’s Castle in Craggaunowen, Knappogue Castle & Walled Garden, Dunguaire Castle, Lough Gur Stone Age Centre and Brian Boru Heritage Centre, Killaloe. Some evenings there are three Medieval Castle Banquets (at Bunratty-, Knappogue-, and Dunguaire Castles). The Christian monastic site of Clonmacnoise in Offaly displays large round towers and beautifully decorated high crosses.

The Shannon Region is also home to the magnificent Cliffs of Moher, a monumental and awesome experience with breathtaking views over the Atlantic Ocean. Visit the visitor centre with Atlantic Edge Exhibition area.

Itineraries

Weekend break in Limerick

Do

The Shannon Region has a range of top visitor attractions to choose from. The attractions come highly recommended and are all within easy reach of Shannon Airport and Limerick City. The region comprises counties Clare and Limerick and substantial parts of the midlands in Offaly and Tipperary. The River Shannon weaves a meandering course through the heart of the region, broadening near its mouth to form the island-studded Lough Derg, 40 km (25 miles) long and surrounded by beautiful mountains. Lakes, rivers and the sea offer superb fishing, from shark to salmon.

There are many activities so much to do in the region, from exploring the River Shannon by canoe from Banagher, Skydiving in Tipperary, enjoying a nostalgic flying experience on board a full scale model of a Boeing B314 at Foynes Flying Boat Museum in Limerick and riding the waves in the seaside resort of Lahinch. The sheltered waters of the Shannon Estuary are home to a community of about 100 Bottlenose Dolphins, one of the largest ‘pods’ in Europe. These beautiful creatures can be observed from boat trips operating from Carrigaholt and Kilrush.

You can also go underground and explore the Ailwee and Doolin caves, with impressive stalactites. Archaeologists have revealed how the people of Ireland lived in the distant past. Replicas of their homes welcome visitors to the beautiful lakeside settings at Lough Gur and at Craggaunowen, where there is also a craft centre and live demonstrations of ancient ways.

Shannon Region Discount Booklet 2009 gives you the opportunity to visit the top visitor attractions and experience the tourism delights of the region at a discounted rate.

Get out

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