Ború Lounge – Shannon Airport

It’s the first airport in the world to open a duty-free shop. And it has one of the friendliest lounges across the globe.

Shannon Airport’s tax-free haven started as a one-woman kiosk in 1947 and has now grown into a multi-billion-dollar global retail success.

And the newly refurbished Ború Lounge is a tranquil oasis away from the hustle and bustle of one of Europe’s most unique transatlantic airports.

Next to Gate 7, it has all that’s needed for a quiet rest before a flight, with complimentary showers, newspapers and food and drink, from neatly made sandwiches to a slice of cake and spirits and wines to teas and coffees, all looked after by hard-working and happy staff.

With plenty of comfy seats from relaxing loungers to single chairs, the lounge is a great way to take it easy in this fabulous part of the world.

Started over 85 years ago, the airport has grown from three simple grass runways in the 1930s, to become a leader in airline innovation and a key driver of business along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way in the west of the country.

Here’s 14 fascinating facts about the airport:

1. Open 365 days a year, Shannon is the most westerly airport in Europe and is the main diversion airport for Transatlantic-European traffic.
2. On 24^th October 2025, Shannon Airport celebrated the 80^th anniversary of the first land based, commercial, transatlantic passenger flight from the US to Europe. This flight paved the way for all future commercial connectivity between the US and Europe, and it landed at Shannon Airport from Gander (Newfoundland), having originally left New York with a stop in Boston enroute.
3. Shannon Airport has a long history with the US and was the first airport outside of The Americas to provide full US preclearance facilities (5^th August 2009), making arrivals in the US easier and faster. This means visitors arriving in the US are considered domestic passengers.
4. Shannon Airport is the only airport in Europe providing full CBP for private jets.
5. In June 1963, Shannon Airport welcomed John F. Kennedy who gave a poignant speech before leaving Ireland. Since then, the airport has welcomed every US President (most while in office, except for Barack Obama).
6. Shannon Airport has the longest runway in Ireland at 3,200 metres and was the only Irish airport that could accommodate the world’s largest aircraft, the Antonov AN 225, prior to its demise following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The enormous aircraft stood seven stories high, with a wingspan of 88 metres. The aviation gallery at Shannon Airport has a model of this aircraft.
7. In addition to its extensive European and UK services, Shannon Airport is the only airport along the Wild Atlantic Way touring route to offer transatlantic flights to New York, Newark, Boston and Chicago.
8. US bound passengers flying from Shannon Airport are only screened once thanks to a combined TSA/EU system.
9. The airport has also recently launched mobile preclearance for US-bound passengers. MPC is a free mobile app aimed at reducing inspection time at the United States pre-clearance facility at Shannon. US-bound passengers are now able to complete part of the pre-clearance process on the new app before arriving at the airport.
10. Shannon Airport won Best Customer Experience in the Transport Category of the 2024 Customer Experience Awards for the second time in a row. The airport also took the top spot in the travel category of the 2024 Ireland Customer Experience Insights (CX1) Report and ranked fourth overall for its excellent customer experience out of 150 top brands nationwide, as scored by customers. In 2025 Shannon Airport won the Aviation Industry Operational Excellence Award.
11. The airport was the country’s top airport brand for the third consecutive year according to the RED C Brand Reaction Index Ireland report 2025.
12. Shannon Airport was the first airport in Europe to open an airport sensory room for passengers of all ages with sensory and neurodevelopmental needs. In 2025 the airport opened a changing places toilet facility for passengers with complex care needs, one of the first of its kind in Co. Clare.
13. Shannon Airport is one of only two airports in Europe to be designated as Age Friendly by the World Health Organisation (WHO). New features installed in Shannon Airport as part of this designation include age-friendly parking, better signage and covered walkways from aircraft and car parking into the terminal.
14. In 2026 passengers have a choice of 40 routes from Shannon Airport to the UK, Europe and the US, the highest number in 17 years.

Author Bio:

Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.

Photograph courtesy of Shannon Airport