Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum, located in Foynes, County Limerick, preserves the aviation and maritime heritage of Ireland's west coast. The museum interprets the era of flying boats and transatlantic flight, and highlights Foynes’s role as the birthplace of the Irish Coffee.
Exhibits include a full-sized flying boat exhibit, interactive flight simulators, and interpretive displays about pioneering aviators and the community that supported early transatlantic travel. Visitors can choose from general entry tickets that combine museum access with themed experiences: guided interpretation of the flying boat era, hands-on flight simulators, and a masterclass on the original Irish Coffee recipe created in Foynes in 1943.
The museum also hosts evening events such as whisky tastings in partnership with Power's Irish Whiskey, featuring curated tastings and archival storytelling in the very location where the Irish Coffee was first served. The museum operates as a cultural heritage attraction focused on education, preservation, and visitor engagement. Its collections, period recreations, and recorded oral histories document the technical, social, and hospitality aspects of Foynes’s aviation past.
Staffed by curators and guides, the site offers structured tours and timed experiences designed for adults, families, and enthusiasts of aviation, maritime history, and food and drink heritage. As a destination in County Limerick, the museum connects regional history, hospitality, and aviation technology while offering memorable visitor experiences that celebrate the legacy of transatlantic flight and the invention of the Irish Coffee. The museum welcomes visitors year-round with scheduled admissions, special events, and seasonal programming and guided workshops.