Airport taxi rank · ~25-35 min to Limerick city centre
Where they are
One map, pinned from each airport’s published coordinates.
Category scores
Overall is the published weighted sum. A highlighted score is ahead; a tie stays plain.
Ease of use
25% · Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
NOC7.4
SNN8.4+1.0
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
NOC6.0
SNN7.0+1.0
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
NOC5.4
SNN5.8+0.4
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
NOC5.0
SNN6.6+1.6
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
NOC5.8
SNN6.8+1.0
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
NOC5.0
SNN6.4+1.4
Best for
NOC
Short west-of-Ireland departures to Britain and the MediterraneanCabin-bag trips that can use the 2-litre liquids ruleDrivers who book the car park ahead
SNN
US-bound travellers who want CBP preclearance in IrelandRyanair / Aer Lingus passengers for west Ireland and the Wild Atlantic WayPriority Pass holders who can visit Ború before US preclearanceFlyers hiring a car for Clare, Limerick, Galway or Kerry loops
Watch out for
NOC
No railway, and the bus advice is stricter than the airport’sCheck-in page still describes a 100 ml liquids bagChristmas Day closure and a single August peakNephin infant rule disagrees between the airport and Priority Pass
SNN
No rail — Bus Éireann 343 / Expressway coaches are the public backboneUS departures need Irish security plus CBP time (use MPC when eligible)Ború Lounge is before CBP; Priority Pass hours can close earlier than the airport booking pageSingle runway 06/24 — Atlantic fog/wind stops the whole airport
Amenities and tips
NOC
Nephin LoungeEatwestSláinte Barista CaféFree Wi-FiKids’ play areaSecurity lane
Give the single checkpoint two hours
The check-in page asks for about two hours on a normal short-haul departure.
Stay on the security page for liquids
Containers up to 2 litres can stay in your cabin bag, with no clear-bag rule on that page.
Eatwest is the only airside kitchen
It opens with the first departure and closes with the last, and it is departing passengers only.
SNN
US CBP preclearanceBorú Lounge (airside, Gate 7)CT security (≤100 ml liquids stay in bag)Free passenger Wi-FiDuty-free + regional F&B spineSensory Room & Sunflower programme
Pad for US preclearance — not just Irish security
US departures need security + CBP time; CT helps the first lane, not the second.
One terminal — then a hard split at US CBP
Compact single building, but US preclearance is a one-way door — plan lounge and shopping before you enter CBP.
Eat or lounge before CBP if you are US-bound
Fuel up or visit Ború before US preclearance; post-CBP choice is thin.
NOC · Ireland West is an easy one-terminal international airport whose real limit is the rural drive and a single modest lounge.
SNN · Compact Atlantic gateway with full US CBP preclearance, a Priority Pass Ború Lounge before the US lane, and Ryanair’s densest Shannon grid — easy to walk, bus-not-rail to Limerick/Galway, and single-runway weather still rules the day.
