Though we did this on the same day as Bunratty Castle, I feel they deserve their own stories. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I have numerous photos from both… 😊
The Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum is about the relentless pursuit of crossing the Atlantic by air. It celebrates the pioneers of early flight and the progress of passenger air travel. Charles Lindbergh is credited with making the first solo Atlantic crossing, which was swiftly followed with the desire to create airplanes that could carry passengers across the Atlantic. This museum celebrates the town of Foynes being at the center of the aviation world for several years. Their website has a wealth of information on the history of aviation. Visit https://flyingboatmuseum.com/our-history/ for more information than my paraphrased trivia bites here. Most of the information in this story comes from their site and museum story boards. Guess who else figures largely in Trans-Atlantic flight? Good old Newfoundland, Canada - the nearest point on the other side! The long and the short of it is that Foynes became a major airport for flights crossing the Atlantic, from the first mail flights to commercial passenger “flying boats”, welcoming celebrities, soldiers, refugees from WWII, and anyone else who could afford the fare. On site is the only replica in the world of the Pan-American Boeing B-314 Yankee Clipper that was the inaugural flight on April 11, 1939 to cross the Atlantic with passengers on board. Among the museum’s list of famous passengers welcomed to Ireland were a young, student JFK, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Humphrey Bogart, Lord Mountbatten (British commander of the fleet), Ernest Hemingway, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Gracie Fields (British actress and singer). The museum also houses the Maureen O’Hara Exhibition - a staggeringly gorgeous display of Maureen O’Hara’s “life and times”. Personal possessions, including her Academy award, movie outfits and stories of her life fill several hundred square feet of space. Maureen O’Hara was a famous Irish actress who was in a ton of movies and an accomplished singer who made an indelible mark on Hollywood. She died at the age of 95, having cut the ribbon on the opening of the Museum and continuing the legacy by supporting it. Why? Because she was married to Captain Charles Blair, an American aviator who did much to establish the routes and navigation techniques for long-distance flight. He was killed in a plane crash in 1978. The uppermost floor of the museum has the maritime history of Foynes. There we learn the story of Colleen Bawn, who eloped with an aristocrat. His family didn't approve and he eventually had his servant take her out in a boat and murder her, dumping her stripped body into the river. Nice guy...not. This floor of the museum also pays homage to the Spring-Rice, O'Brien, and de Vere families who made important contributions to Ireland.
Back to flying boats. Many attempts were made to develop passenger planes that could cross the Atlantic. After the Hindenberg disaster, air ships were ruled out and not produced again. During the exploration of options, these trial planes were used for transporting mail or goods, but were not suitable for passenger transport. These planes took off from the water and used an immense amount of fuel to get off the ground, meaning there wasn’t enough for the actual trip across the ocean and to carry passengers and their cargo as well. Early on, it was identified that sufficient fuel was the biggest road block. Attempts to address this included:
In WWII, Ireland was neutral and Foynes ordered a blackout on media. It became a critical communication link between Europe and the US and a critical route for refugees during the war, enabling them to link to neutral countries or gain passage to North America. Oh! Foynes is also the home of the original Irish coffee! The museum has a little hologram reenactment of its creation. Apparently it's not a "real" Irish coffee unless it has Powers whiskey. They had the recipe painted on the wall publicly, so I feel comfortable sharing the photo for you. (See what I did there? Made you look through the pictures for a booze recipe. I didn't fall off the potato truck yesterday!) I didn't have one though - I was really tired that day and already having trouble staying awake in the car. What would Peter have done without his back seat driver?! I know I miss his advice when I'm driving (hang on while I push my nose back in - it seems to be growing). Please do visit their fascinating website packed with information. Otherwise, enjoy the many photos I invariably have to share! From Foynes, it was a short ferry ride across the Shannon to visit Bunratty Castle. But that's another story.
1 Comment
Kristi Copeland
6/13/2024 07:32:10 am
Love those comfy seats on the plane.
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