Foynes
Encyclopedia
Foynes is a village and major port in County Limerick
in the midwest of Ireland
, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary
. The population of the town was 606 as of the 2006 census.
crossings. Foyne was the last port of call on its eastern shore for seaplane
s. As a result, Foynes would became one of the biggest civilian airports in Europe during World War II
. Surveying flights for flying boat
operations were made by Charles Lindbergh
in 1933 and a terminal was begun in 1935. The first transatlantic proving flights were operated on July 5, 1937 with a Pan Am Sikorsky S-42
service from Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador
on the Bay of Exploits
and a BOAC
Short Empire
service from Foynes with successful transits of twelve and fifteen-and-a-quarter hours respectively. Services to New York
, Southampton
, Montreal
, Poole
and Lisbon
followed, the first non-stop New York service operating on June 22, 1942 in 25 hours 40 minutes.
on flat bogland on the northern bank of the Estuary
. Foynes flying-boat station closed in 1946. A college for the learning of the Irish language
was opened in the former terminal in 1954. The Port Trustees purchased the building in 1980 and the Foynes Flying Boat Museum leased a portion in 1988.
One of Foynes's main claims to fame is the invention there of Irish Coffee
. This came about, it is said, in order to alleviate the suffering of cold and wet passengers during its aviation days in the 1930s and early 40s. The Foynes Flying Boat Museum contains much memorabilia from that era, including the original radio and weather room, along with its equipment and a full-size replica Boeing 314
flying boat.
operated by the Shannon Foynes Port Company, an amalgamation under the Harbours Act 2000 of the agencies operating the ports of Limerick and Foynes. It is anticipated that more traffic from the upstream Limerick Port will ultimately be diverted there as the latter portlands are redeveloped as commercial and residential properties. A railway line to Limerick via Patrickswell
and Raheen
is in existence but not operational. Iarnród Éireann
's policy of concentrating on what it sees as more profitable passenger operations means the Port's traffic is entirely served by road.
Foynes Port Company was amalgamated with the Shannon Estuary Ports Company (which had responsibility for the other areas of the Estuary) in 2000, to form Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC). SFPC is the second largest port facility in Ireland, handling over 10 million tonnes of cargo annually through the six terminals currently operational. Planning permission has been granted for an LNG import terminal at Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, within SFPC's jursidiction, which will add considerably to throughput once constructed.
In an interview on Limerick's Live 95 fm on April 18th 2011, Kay McGuinness Chairperson of Shannon Foynes Port Company said that they are confident that the rail link could be reopened for €7 million, which was considerably less than initially quoted price of €30 million by Irish Rail following the involvement of consultants and it was now a do-able project.
Knockpatrick Gardens, an award winning 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) garden overlooking the scenic Shannon Estuary is located 2 km (1 mi) from Foynes.
Foynes is near to Adare
, a famous heritage town, and the city of Limerick. The main gateway to the region is Shannon Airport
. Foynes is located on the N69
"coast road" to Tarbert and Tralee in County Kerry
.
teams on occasions, it is primarily a Gaelic football
club and, after winning the intermediate championship in 2003, Saint Senan's were narrowly beaten in the final of the 2006 Limerick Senior Football Championship. Its predecessor, the Foynes team, won its only senior championship in 1907.
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
in the midwest of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary
Shannon Estuary
The Shannon Estuary is a large estuary where the River Shannon flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The estuary has Limerick at its head and its seaward limits are marked by Loop Head to the north and Kerry Head to the south...
. The population of the town was 606 as of the 2006 census.
Foynes's role in aviation
During the late 1930s and early 1940s, land-based planes lacked sufficient flying range for AtlanticAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
crossings. Foyne was the last port of call on its eastern shore for seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s. As a result, Foynes would became one of the biggest civilian airports in Europe during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Surveying flights for flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
operations were made by Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
in 1933 and a terminal was begun in 1935. The first transatlantic proving flights were operated on July 5, 1937 with a Pan Am Sikorsky S-42
Sikorsky S-42
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Davies, R.E.G. Pan Am: An Airline and its Aircraft. New York: Orion Books, 1987. ISBN 0-517-56639-7....
service from Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador
Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest: Point LeamingtonNorth: Northern ArmNortheast: Bay of Exploits, Burnt Arm, LaurencetonWest: Division No. 6, Subd. CBotwoodEast: Bay of Exploits, Division No. 6, Subd. A...
on the Bay of Exploits
Bay of Exploits
The Bay of Exploits is a large bay in the northeast of Newfoundland. It extends from the mouth of the Exploits River and opens on to Notre Dame Bay to the north. It is approximately 1,000 square kilometers The Bay of Exploits is a large bay in the northeast of Newfoundland. It extends from the...
and a BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
Short Empire
Short Empire
The Short Empire was a passenger and mail carrying flying boat, of the 1930s and 1940s, that flew between Britain and British colonies in Africa, Asia and Australia...
service from Foynes with successful transits of twelve and fifteen-and-a-quarter hours respectively. Services to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
and Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
followed, the first non-stop New York service operating on June 22, 1942 in 25 hours 40 minutes.
Foynes Flying Boat Museum
All of this changed following the construction and opening in 1942 of Shannon AirportShannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
on flat bogland on the northern bank of the Estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
. Foynes flying-boat station closed in 1946. A college for the learning of the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
was opened in the former terminal in 1954. The Port Trustees purchased the building in 1980 and the Foynes Flying Boat Museum leased a portion in 1988.
One of Foynes's main claims to fame is the invention there of Irish Coffee
Irish coffee
Irish coffee is a cocktail consisting of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, stirred, and topped with thick cream. The coffee is drunk through the cream. The original recipe explicitly uses cream that has not been whipped, although whipped cream is often used. Irish coffee may be considered a...
. This came about, it is said, in order to alleviate the suffering of cold and wet passengers during its aviation days in the 1930s and early 40s. The Foynes Flying Boat Museum contains much memorabilia from that era, including the original radio and weather room, along with its equipment and a full-size replica Boeing 314
Boeing 314
The Boeing 314 Clipper was a long-range flying boat produced by the Boeing Airplane Company between 1938 and 1941 and is comparable to the British Short S.26. One of the largest aircraft of the time, it used the massive wing of Boeing’s earlier XB-15 bomber prototype to achieve the range necessary...
flying boat.
Foynes's role as seaport
Foynes as a port has a longer history, being first surveyed in 1837, and is now the location of a major deep water seaportShannon Foynes Port
Shannon Foynes Port is a port facility within the Shannon Estuary in Ireland. It is the second largest port in Ireland. It is operated and managed by the Shannon Foynes Port Company, whose main operating office is based in Foynes, County Limerick...
operated by the Shannon Foynes Port Company, an amalgamation under the Harbours Act 2000 of the agencies operating the ports of Limerick and Foynes. It is anticipated that more traffic from the upstream Limerick Port will ultimately be diverted there as the latter portlands are redeveloped as commercial and residential properties. A railway line to Limerick via Patrickswell
Patrickswell
Patrickswell, historically known as Toberpatrick , is a small town in County Limerick, Ireland.-Etymology:The name refers to St. Patrick and there is a small hand pump/well in the main street; Microsoft mappoint and some other programs call the village St. Patrick's Well or St....
and Raheen
Raheen
Raheen is a suburban district of southwestern Limerick City, Ireland. It houses the headquarters of the Mid-Western Region of the Health Service Executive so that a multitude of essential health services catering for the population of the region are dispensed from this suburban...
is in existence but not operational. Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...
's policy of concentrating on what it sees as more profitable passenger operations means the Port's traffic is entirely served by road.
Foynes Port Company was amalgamated with the Shannon Estuary Ports Company (which had responsibility for the other areas of the Estuary) in 2000, to form Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC). SFPC is the second largest port facility in Ireland, handling over 10 million tonnes of cargo annually through the six terminals currently operational. Planning permission has been granted for an LNG import terminal at Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, within SFPC's jursidiction, which will add considerably to throughput once constructed.
Transport
Foynes railway station was opened on 29 April 1858, but closed to passenger traffic on 4 February 1963. Freight traffic continued until the line was mothballed in 2001 and there has been no trains since 7 May 2002 when the annual Irish Rail weed spray train visited the line. The last known movement on the line was on 9 January 2003 when a permanent way inspection car visited Foynes. The line is not currently operational but the Shannon Foynes Port Company and others maintain contact with Irish Rail to review opportunities for reopening it for future bulk cargo projects.In an interview on Limerick's Live 95 fm on April 18th 2011, Kay McGuinness Chairperson of Shannon Foynes Port Company said that they are confident that the rail link could be reopened for €7 million, which was considerably less than initially quoted price of €30 million by Irish Rail following the involvement of consultants and it was now a do-able project.
Places of interest
Foynes Flying Boat Museum.Knockpatrick Gardens, an award winning 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) garden overlooking the scenic Shannon Estuary is located 2 km (1 mi) from Foynes.
Foynes is near to Adare
Adare
-General information:Adare's origin is as a settlement by a crossing point on the river Maigue. It is situated 16 km from Limerick City. Renowned as one of Ireland's prettiest villages, Adare is designated as a Heritage Town by the Irish government...
, a famous heritage town, and the city of Limerick. The main gateway to the region is Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
. Foynes is located on the N69
N69 road (Ireland)
The N69 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It runs from Limerick to Tralee and passes though Mungret, Clarina, Kildimo, Askeaton , Foynes, Loughill, Glin, Tarbert and Listowel.-References:* – Department of Transport...
"coast road" to Tarbert and Tralee in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
.
Sports
Saint Senan's GAA club draws its players from the parish centred around Foynes and the neighbouring town of Shanagolden. Although it has fielded hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
teams on occasions, it is primarily a Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
club and, after winning the intermediate championship in 2003, Saint Senan's were narrowly beaten in the final of the 2006 Limerick Senior Football Championship. Its predecessor, the Foynes team, won its only senior championship in 1907.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland.
- Historical Aviation Society of IrelandHistorical Aviation Society of IrelandThe Historical Aviation Society of Ireland was founded in 2004 as the interim group in Ireland to establish a sustainable infrastructure for aviation heritage in Ireland.- Background :...