How Foynes was at the centre of transatlantic aviation

The replica of the B314 flying boat at Foynes.

A visit to the Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum is a must for anyone even remotely interested in airplanes and their history, writes Trish Whelan.

Ireland has a long standing affection for flying boat aircraft as Foynes in Co Limerick was at the centre of the world from 1939-1945 when it was the hub of aviation activity between North America and Europe during World War Two.

The small harbour village was chosen as the European stop over terminal for transatlantic flights following agreement by the USA, the UK, Canada and the Irish Free State that all aircraft would land in Ireland when flying east or west.

The bronze sculpture outside the Museum, installed in 1966 by local artist Jim Connolly. The mound represents the Northern hemisphere of the globe.

The site was selected for its position on the west coast of Ireland and for the wide and relatively calm waters of the River Shannon which would provide a water runway for the flying boats to land and take off and also because of its easy access to Limerick and further onwards.

Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum is located in the building that once was the first headquarters for aviation in Ireland, so you are walking on hallowed ground. In 1979, the old airport building became the offices of Foynes Harbour Trustees and the museum was one of the outbuildings.

The huge collection of exhibits and memorabilia on display will bring you back in time to the 1930s and '40s when the village played a huge part in establishing commercial transatlantic passenger flights. The legendary flying boats came and went carrying celebrities, royalty, the rich and famous as well as desperate refugees.

Pan American Airways, British Overseas Airways Corporation and American Export Airlines were the three main commercial airlines flying into Foynes.

The first fare paying passengers who flew the 3,000 miles over the North Atlantic landed at Foynes on 9 July, 1939. Flying at the time didn't come cheap and a one-way ticket from New York to Foynes via Botwood in Newfoundland cost $337 (about $4,000 present day).

In June of 1942, Captain Charles Blair flew the first non-stop flight from Ireland to New York with passengers and mail.

The short S25 Sunderland was the flying boat most often seen at Foynes used for the shuttle between Foynes and Poole Harbour - a large natural harbour in Dorset in southern England.

During your visit you will discover Ireland's rich maritime heritage and learn about the famous people from Foynes who shaped Irish history, learn all about weather conditions and check present day weather and tides - and keep an eye on the River and Estuary from the Control Tower. The experience might even kick-start a career for some aspiring and adventurous young visitors.

The original airport terminal had radio and meteorological operations, so you can also take in the radio equipment, transmitters, receivers and Morse code equipment used at the time. It's also worth reading the many newspaper clippings of that era, all fascinating stuff.

I was intrigued by a British Overseas Airways Corporation notice to passengers saying that all cameras must be handed over at the Airport for sealing by Customs. Under the Official Secrets Act, passengers were advised while in 'Eire' not to mention on the telephone, or in a cafe or anywhere in public, the names of places from which they had come or to say where they were going and when they expected to depart. While Ireland was a neutral country during the second world war, in 1940 the Irish government imposed a news blackout on Foynes.

You can travel back in time in the authentic 1940s-era cinema and watch the award-winning film 'Atlantic Conquest' compiled from original footage.

The highlight for me during my visit was the replica of the B314 flying boat (pictured above) built by Boeing in response to Pan American Airways' request for a flying boat with 'unprecedented range capability'. The Boeing 'Clipper' was regarded at the top of flying boat technology and was named after the great ocean faring sailing ships. Twelve were built for Pan Am.

There are no B314s left today, but the museum decided to build a full scale model of the aircraft for visitors to enjoy. The replica was constructed by a film set designer, builder and model maker, Bill Fallover and took his team approximately 10 months to build. The flying boat was transported to Foynes in sections in very wide loads and pieces were then lifted on site by large cranes. The model was assembled where it is in situ today. Funding was secured from the Irish government. It is the only such replica in the world today.

You can sit in the cockpit and see all the controls. 

You can explore the different areas of this replica aircraft. All of the commercial flying boats which flew into Foynes had top-class facilities, but the B314 had surpassed them all with a 14-seat dining room, a honeymoon suite, and sleeping berths for everyone.

You can even sit in the cockpit and wonder at the numerous controls and take the experience further by trying your hand at flying the B314 in the museum's realistic flight simulators.

One of the pioneers of aviation was Captain Charles F Blair and you see his personal aviation collection. In 1940, he was named Chief Pilot of the newly formed American Export Airlines, later American Overseas Airlines. He flew flying boats into Foynes from 1942 to 1945. After the war, land planes took over from the flying boats.

Blair was married to former museum patron, Irish film star Maureen O Hara. 

When she stepped off a flying boat in Foynes with him in 1976, it would be the start of a relationship that would last nearly 40 years. Maureen officially opened the Museum in July 1989 and remained its Patron until her death in 2015.

An exhibition in the museum is dedicated to preserving her memory as Ireland's most famous actress by showcasing her memorabilia, including the Honorary Oscar she received in 2014 and her Hollywood dress collection.

There's also a cinema room screening a rolling film on her life encompassing her love of music, film and fashion. Maureen had starred in several classic films including The Quiet Man, shot in Cong with her and John Wayne.

Other VIP passengers who had arrived here through Foynes included John F Kennedy, Ernest Hemingway, Eleanor Roosevelt and global movie stars such as Bob Hope and Humphrey Bogart, violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin, and singer Gracie Fields.

A temporary base which lasted longer than had been expected, Foynes finally closing in March 1946. The last Pan Am B314 departed from Foynes in October 1945 (the year the war ended) with Charles Blair at the controls.

Foynes had scored another 'first' with the invention of Irish Coffee. The mixture of strong black coffee, sugar, thickly whipped cream and some good Irish Whiskey was concocted late one night in 1942 when a group of damp miserable passengers came into the Pier Lounge. They'd left for Botwood ten hours earlier but their flight had to turn back due to bad weather. They asked for coffee and Chef Joe Sheridan thought that maybe a little drop of something strong in the coffee might do them good. An American passenger asked if it was Brazilian coffee. "No, that's Irish Coffee," the chef replied and the famous drink was born. You can end your visit by participating in a fun Irish Coffee Masterclass. 

Afterwards you can enjoy freshly prepared and home baked cuisine at O'Regan's, the museum restaurant, in a 1940s setting.

A souvenir gift shop carries a wide range of aviation souvenirs and gifts to take home including the museum book of the story of how Foynes was once at the centre of the aviation world.

Foynes is situated on the scenic N69, just 15 minutes from Tarbert in Kerry, and some 30 minutes from Limerick City. It is a recommended Wild Atlantic Way discovery point.

The museum is open from mid-March to mid-November from 09.30am-17.00pm. From June, July and August it stays open til 18.00. Admission is €12 for adults; €10 for Seniors/Students, €6.00 for children under 14, while under 5s are free. A family ticket is €30.00 (two adults and up to four children).

Note: My thanks to the Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum for providing information and special photographs used in this article.