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Dublin Airport to Adare and Limerick: Coach, Rail, Car or Transfer

By Shane Dowling, managing director
Updated 2 November 2026 · 8 min read

Plenty of people heading for Adare or Limerick fly into Dublin rather than Shannon, because the fare is lower, the flight is direct or their airline simply does not fly to Shannon. That can be the right call, as long as you know what comes after landing: a drive of more than 200km across the country.

Short answer: Dublin Airport to Limerick city is about 207km and to Adare about 223km, roughly 2 hours 10 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes by car via the M50 and M7. Flightlink's route 722 runs direct from Dublin Airport to Adare 8 times a day in about 2 hours 45 minutes, and Citylink and Flightlink between them run about hourly to Limerick in about 2 hours 30 minutes.

Distances and times

RouteDistanceTime by car
Dublin Airport to Limerick cityabout 207km2 hours 10 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes
Dublin Airport to Adareabout 223km2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes
Shannon Airport to Limerick city (for comparison)about 26kmabout 25 minutes
Shannon Airport to Adare (for comparison)about 39kmabout 30 minutes

Route planners put Dublin Airport to Adare at a little over 2 hours on clear roads; Adare Manor's own page says 2 hours 30 minutes. The top of our range allows for the M50, which is where this journey usually loses time.

Your options from Dublin Airport

Direct coach to Adare: Flightlink 722

Flightlink's route 722 runs from Dublin Airport (Zone 12) to Killarney and stops at Adare on the way. On the November 2026 timetable it leaves the airport 8 times a day, from 6am to 9pm, and reaches Adare about 2 hours 45 minutes later. It also stops at Raheen Business Park on the Cork Road side of Limerick.

For one or two people with manageable bags staying in Adare village, this is hard to beat, and we would tell you to take it.

Coaches to Limerick: Citylink, Flightlink and JJ Kavanagh

Dublin Airport's own coach page lists three operators for Limerick. Times below are from the November 2026 timetables:

  • Citylink 712 from Zone 10: every two hours on the even hour, plus 00.30 and 04.00 departures, to Arthur's Quay in about 2 hours 30 minutes. Citylink says it runs 11 departures a day, also serving Castletroy.
  • Flightlink 723 from Zone 12: every two hours on the odd hour, plus 05.00 and 23.30, to Arthur's Quay in about 2 hours 30 minutes.
  • JJ Kavanagh 735 from Zone 16: 4 departures a day through Nenagh, taking 3 hours 35 minutes to 4 hours to Arthur's Quay, with stops at the University of Limerick, Mary Immaculate College and TUS Moylish.

Between Citylink and Flightlink there is a coach to Limerick roughly every hour, including through the night. Dublin Coach runs to Limerick from Burgh Quay in the city, not from the airport.

To reach Adare from Limerick by public transport, Bus Éireann's route 13 leaves Colbert Station 7 times a day and takes 28 to 38 minutes. Colbert Station is a separate stop from Arthur's Quay, so allow time to cross the city.

Rail via Heuston

There is no train from Dublin Airport. You take a coach into the city first: Dublin Express route 782 goes from both terminals to Heuston Station, every 15 minutes or so through the day, taking about 45 to 50 minutes in daytime traffic.

From Heuston, Irish Rail trains to Limerick take about 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes. Rome2rio lists about three direct trains a day; other services change at Limerick Junction. Its best airport-to-Limerick rail combination comes to about 3 hours 25 minutes, and that assumes every connection lines up. With luggage after a long flight, most people find the direct coach easier.

Taxi

Possible, but rarely sensible over this distance. Irish taxi fares are capped by the National Transport Authority, and drivers must not charge more than the meter unless you agree otherwise in writing. Working the NTA's maximum tariff over the distance gives roughly €355 to Limerick and €380 to Adare on the standard rate (8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday), and roughly €455 to €490 at night, on Sundays and public holidays. That is distance only, before the M50 toll, time charged in traffic, the €3 booking fee and €1 per extra adult.

Hire car

If you plan to tour Kerry, Clare or the west for a week, a hire car from Dublin makes sense. Be honest with yourself about the first day, though: over two hours of motorway, on the left, after a night with little sleep.

The M50 toll catches visitors out. It sits between Junction 6 (Blanchardstown) and Junction 7 (Lucan), on the way from the airport to the M7. There is no barrier and no cash booth. For a car without a tag or account the 2026 toll is €3.80, paid online, by phone or at a Payzone outlet by 8pm the next day, or a late charge is added. eFlow says to check with your hire company first, because some include the toll in your bill and others expect you to pay it yourself.

Private transfer

A driver meets you in arrivals with a name board and drives you to the door, in Limerick city, Adare village or at a country house hotel. The flight is tracked, so a delayed landing does not leave you stranded. Over 220km, it costs a good deal more than the coach. It makes sense for families, golf groups with clubs, business travellers who want to work or sleep on the way, and anyone landing at an hour when the coaches do not suit.

Dublin or Shannon: the honest comparison

Shannon is about 30 minutes from Adare. Dublin is two and a half hours or more. Fly into Dublin and you add roughly two hours of road at each end of the trip, plus the M50.

That does not make Dublin wrong. If the fare saves real money per person, or Dublin gives you a direct flight where Shannon means a connection, the extra road time can be worth it. Just put the ground journey into the sums. A transfer from Dublin covers five or six times the distance of one from Shannon, so it costs more, and a group of four should weigh that against what the cheaper flights saved.

If you are coming for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor (17 to 19 September 2027, with practice days from 13 September), read our Ryder Cup transport guide before booking flights.

Tips for long-haul arrivals

  • Watch the M50 rush hours. Say your flight lands at 6.15am. By the time you are through passport control and baggage, you could reach the M50 around 7.30am, right in the morning peak. An analysis of TII traffic counts put the weekday peaks at 7am to 10am and 3pm to 7pm. A mid-morning landing often has an easier run.
  • Know your stops. The M7 has service areas at Junction 14 (Mayfield), Junction 17 (Portlaoise), Junction 23 (Moneygall) and Junction 27 (Birdhill), the last one before Limerick.
  • Do not push on tired. The Road Safety Authority's advice for a tired driver is to stop somewhere safe, have a caffeine drink and take a 15-minute nap.
  • Night arrivals are covered. Citylink and Flightlink both run overnight departures to Limerick, so a late landing does not have to mean a Dublin hotel.

Questions people ask

Is there a direct bus from Dublin Airport to Adare?

Yes. Flightlink's route 722 to Killarney stops at Adare, with 8 departures a day from Zone 12 on the November 2026 timetable, taking about 2 hours 45 minutes.

How long does it take to drive from Dublin Airport to Limerick?

About 2 hours 10 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes for roughly 207km via the M50 and M7. The M50 at rush hour is the main variable.

Which coaches go from Dublin Airport to Limerick?

Citylink (712) and Flightlink (723) each run about every two hours to Arthur's Quay in about 2 hours 30 minutes, together giving roughly an hourly service. JJ Kavanagh (735) runs 4 a day via Nenagh, taking 3 hours 35 minutes to 4 hours.

Is it better to fly into Shannon or Dublin for Adare?

Shannon is about 30 minutes from Adare; Dublin is about 2 hours 30 minutes or more. Dublin makes sense only if the flight saves enough money or time to cover the longer ground journey.

Do I have to pay the M50 toll in a hire car?

Yes, if you drive from the airport to the M7 you pass the toll between Junctions 6 and 7. It is €3.80 for an unregistered car in 2026, payable by 8pm the next day, but check first if your hire company pays it for you.

Dowling Executive Travel is based in Limerick and works nationwide, so we cover Dublin Airport runs as well as Shannon ones, with flight tracking, meet and greet in arrivals and a fixed quote agreed in advance. A Mercedes V-Class takes up to 6 passengers, or 4 golfers with clubs and luggage; the 16-seat Sprinter takes about 10 golfers with their gear. Send your flight number, landing time and where you are staying through the quote form, call 085 164 0618 or email info@det.ie.

Related: Airport transfers · Shannon Airport to Adare Manor · Ryder Cup 2027 transport · Business visitor transport in Limerick · What a chauffeur costs in Ireland

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