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Transport for Business Visitors to Limerick and the Mid-West

By Shane Dowling, managing director
Updated 2 November 2026 · 7 min read

Say an audit team of four lands at Shannon on the morning flight from New York. They have two days to cover a plant in Raheen, an office at the National Technology Park in Castletroy and a supplier in Ennis, and someone in your office has to make all of that run to time without a rental car or a pile of taxi receipts.

This guide covers how business visitors get around Limerick and the Mid-West: realistic journey times from Shannon Airport to the main business parks, how to organise airport collections, site visits and roadshows, what to ask for on billing and confidentiality, and when a corporate taxi account does the job just as well.

Short answer: From Shannon Airport, route planners put the Shannon Free Zone a few minutes away, Ennis about 18 minutes, Raheen Business Park about 23 minutes and the National Technology Park at Plassey about 27 to 31 minutes; allow more at commuter peaks. For one visitor making one trip, a taxi or corporate taxi account is usually enough. A pre-booked chauffeur earns its place for groups, multi-stop days, early or late flights and visits where timing and discretion matter.

Where the business is

The Mid-West is a serious base for multinationals. IDA Ireland counts 153 multinationals with operations in the region, employing more than 27,000 people as of mid-2025, with medical technology and financial services among its strengths. Shannon Airport has full US customs pre-clearance, flights to New York all year and to Chicago and Boston in summer, which is why so many visiting executives arrive through Shannon rather than Dublin.

  • Shannon Free Zone. Beside the airport. Shannon Airport Group says its Shannon campus serves 300 companies and 8,000 employees, from large multinationals to single-person start-ups. Shannon Chamber describes it as the world's first free trade zone, set up in 1959.
  • Raheen Business Park. On the south-west side of Limerick city. IDA Ireland highlights a manufacturing, design and R&D campus there.
  • National Technology Park, Plassey/Castletroy. On the University of Limerick campus, home to high-technology and knowledge-based companies, according to Shannon Airport Group.
  • Ennis. Clare Technology Park is aimed at knowledge-based enterprise, and IDA Ireland highlights a multinational with a long-standing base in the town.

Journey times from Shannon Airport

Route planner figures assume a clear road. The right-hand column is what we would allow for a meeting with a fixed start time at commuter peaks; it is our judgement, not a published figure.

From Shannon Airport toDistanceRoute planner timeAllow at peak
Shannon Free ZoneBeside the airport3 to 6 minutes10 minutes
EnnisAbout 23km18 minutes30 minutes
Limerick city centreAbout 24 to 26km22 minutes35 minutes
Raheen Business ParkAbout 27km23 minutes40 minutes
National Technology Park / University of LimerickAbout 30 to 32km27 to 31 minutes45 minutes

For comparison, the bus takes longer: Rome2rio averages about 53 minutes from the airport to Limerick city and about 30 minutes to Ennis on Bus Éireann (checked November 2026). Visitors flying into Dublin instead face about 192km to Limerick; see our guide to Dublin Airport to Adare and Limerick.

Airport collections for executives and auditors

The basics matter more than the car. Book against the flight number so the pickup moves if the flight is early or late. Ask for the driver to meet the visitor inside arrivals with a name board, and decide what goes on the board: the visitor's name alone is often wiser than your company name. Send the operator the visitor's mobile number and the exact address and entrance at the site, since large plants often have separate visitor, goods and staff gates.

For the return, remember that US-bound passengers clear US pre-clearance at Shannon before boarding, so build that into the time you leave the site, and check the airline's advice for the day.

Site visits between plants and roadshows

A day that runs Shannon Free Zone, Raheen and Castletroy, with lunch in the city, is where a chauffeur on an hourly or day booking makes sense. The driver waits between meetings, the group travels together, and nobody is ringing for a taxi outside a security gate. When you ask for a quote, send the full running order with addresses and meeting lengths, and say whether the timing is fixed or flexible.

Match the vehicle to the group. A Mercedes V-Class suits up to six people, larger groups need a minibus such as a 16-seat Sprinter, and a roadshow carrying equipment needs the luggage space confirmed in writing.

Account billing, PO numbers and invoices

Finance teams usually want the same few things, so ask for them at the start:

  • A fixed quote in writing for each job. The NTA says a pre-agreed fare should be recorded in writing before the journey, and hackneys and limousines may not charge more than the agreed fare.
  • Your purchase order number on every booking and invoice.
  • Itemised invoices by date, passenger and cost centre, monthly if you book regularly.
  • The operator's licence details for your supplier file: an NTA small public service vehicle (SPSV) licence for cars and people carriers, or a road transport operator licence from the Department of Transport for vehicles carrying nine or more passengers for hire or reward.

Expect no VAT on the invoice. Revenue treats hire of a vehicle with a driver for passenger transport as exempt from VAT, so there is nothing to reclaim and nothing should be added.

Confidentiality

Visits by auditors, acquirers, regulators or senior executives are often sensitive inside the company as well as outside it. Reasonable things to ask any transport supplier: that drivers do not discuss passengers or destinations, that no photographs or social media posts are made of visitors or sites, that booking details go only to named contacts, and that they will sign your non-disclosure agreement if your policy requires one. Keep passenger names off anything that does not need them.

When a corporate taxi account is enough

Often it is. A single visitor going from Shannon to one site and back, with a flexible schedule, does not need a chauffeur. Taxi fares are capped by the NTA: on the current maximum fare, Shannon Airport to Raheen works out at roughly €45 by day on distance alone, and the University of Limerick quotes about €50 to €70 from the airport taxi desk to the city. Published chauffeur prices for Shannon to Limerick start at €75 (Easy Transfer) and €130 (Irish Transfer), checked November 2026.

A chauffeur starts to pay its way with groups who would otherwise need two or three taxis, early-morning or late-night flights, multi-stop days, important visitors, and anything where a no-show costs more than the fare. For regular staff movement rather than visitors, read why contracts beat taxis for staff transport.

Questions people ask

How long is the drive from Shannon Airport to the National Technology Park in Limerick?

Route planners give about 27 to 31 minutes for roughly 30 to 32km. Allow up to 45 minutes at commuter peaks if the meeting has a fixed start.

How far is Raheen Business Park from Shannon Airport?

About 27km, which route planners put at around 23 minutes on a clear road. Allow up to 40 minutes at peak times.

Can business transport be billed to a company account with a PO number?

Ask for it when booking: a fixed quote in writing, your PO number on each booking and an itemised invoice by passenger and cost centre.

Is VAT charged on chauffeur transport for business visitors?

No. Revenue treats hire of a vehicle with a driver for passenger transport as exempt from VAT, so the invoice should show none.

Is a corporate taxi account enough for visiting staff?

For one person on a simple trip, usually yes. Shannon Airport to Raheen is roughly €45 on the daytime taxi meter. Groups, multi-stop days and early or late flights are where a pre-booked chauffeur makes more sense.

Dowling Executive Travel is a licensed chauffeur company based in Limerick, working 24/7 with a Mercedes S-Class, a V-Class for up to 6 passengers and a 16-seat Sprinter. We track flights, meet visitors in arrivals with a name board, agree a fixed quote in advance and take card payment. Send the flight details or the day's running order through the quote form, email info@det.ie or call 085 164 0618, and see our corporate travel page for more.

Related: Corporate travel · Staff transport in Limerick · Airport transfers · Shannon Airport transfers guide · What a chauffeur costs in Ireland

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