Shannon Duty Free is delighted to present our new website showcasing the best of indigenous and innovative Irish design and the most popular products from our stores in the Bunratty Folk Park and at Shannon Duty-Free.
Our online shop stocks a wide range of gorgeous glassware from many corners of the country. Not forgetting the exceptional celtic jewelry, the epitome of elegance.
From remote island origins to household name, we carry the amazing, authentic Aran Sweaters, with Irish sweaters and accessories keeping ladies, men, children and babies everywhere snug and stylish. Here you’ll also find the crème de la crème of traditional Irish products from the likes of Avoca, Foxford Woollen Mills and Carraig Donn – their exquisite throws, rugs, blankets and clothing made of sumptuously soft lambswool and marvelous mohair are totally à la mode.
For Downton Abbey fans, the cute flapper caps and other contemporary couture by Mucros Weavers will certainly help you look chic with their colorful quirkiness. The beautiful batch of capes and clothing with their tantalizing wool textures, from the homegrown talent of Áine Behan, Jimmy Hourihan and Patrick Francis, are very in vogue. And then there’s the eclectic and exciting array of perfumes, pewter, jewelry and button art also on offer.
The Shannon region has always been at the forefront of Irish fashion and traditional Irish gifts – the first ever duty-free shop began trading at the airport in 1947. Kitty Downes opened her kiosk to sell fine Irish lace and linen to the numerous travelers passing through. Our shop today has a vast variety of top-quality products at highly competitive prices, while our shop and collect service allows you to browse and buy without adding to your outbound baggage.
We pioneered the duty-free concept then and are extremely proud to carry on that legacy now by bringing the best of Irish design to the world. We’re passionate about our products and with shipping to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, our website offers our worldwide friends the opportunity to have these perfect presents delivered straight from our shelves to yours.
In the early 1930s, the townland of Rineanna (“meeting place of the birds” in Gaelic) along the north side of the Shannon estuary in County Clare was reputed as an ideal spot for wild duck and geese shooting. This same large, muddy, flat terrain near the sea was pinpointed as a perfect place for aviation activity. The first passenger aircraft, a Belgian airliner, landed at Rineanna in July 1939, and thus, Shannon Airport gradually came to be.
The airport made history by opening the world’s first-ever duty-free industrial zone in 1947, selling souvenirs and gifts. The rest of our story is equally unique. In its heyday, the tarmac and terminal welcomed leading Hollywood screen stars and celebrities, including the marvelous Marilyn Monroe, the multi-talented Gene Kelly and the magnificent Yul Brenner.
The beloved John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie graced the runway on their historic visit to Ireland to trace their ancestors in June 1963, just five months before the US President’s tragic death. And legend has it that the inaugural Irish Coffee, an integral part of the Gaelic gastronomic culture, was first served in the midst of our departure lounge. If those walls could talk, we’re sure they would tell scintillating stories of glamour and glory.
Shannon Airport is situated at the most westerly point of the European continent, making it geographically important and the ideal steppingstone between Europe and America. Transatlantic and European flights run throughout the year, direct to cities such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, as well as to numerous destinations across Europe. As a gateway to the globe, our airport provides limitless possibilities.
Last year, just over 1.7 million passengers passed through our departure gates. And these numbers are growing year on year as travelers discover the easy journey experience and first-class facilities found at Shannon Airport.