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Shannon Airport to Killarney, Kenmare and the Ring of Kerry

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

Say your flight lands at Shannon at 7am and your hotel is in Killarney, or further on in Kenmare or out on the Ring of Kerry. Kerry looks close on the map, but there is no direct bus or train from the airport, and the drive is long enough to matter after a night flight.

Short answer: Shannon Airport to Killarney is about 129km by road, which takes 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours by car via Limerick, Adare and Abbeyfeale. Kenmare is about 160km, or 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes. By public transport you change at least once in Limerick, and the whole trip takes 3.5 to 4 hours.

Distance and journey time

From Shannon Airport toDistanceBy car
Killarneyabout 129km1 hr 45 min to 2 hr
Traleeabout 122km1 hr 35 min to 1 hr 55 min
Kenmareabout 160km2 hr 15 min to 2 hr 45 min
Waterville (Ring of Kerry)about 191km2 hr 35 min to 3 hr 15 min

The lower times are route planner figures (Rome2rio, checked November 2026). The upper ones allow for the towns on the way and summer traffic.

The usual route: Limerick, Adare and Abbeyfeale

From the airport you head south to Limerick, round the city, and pick up the N21 through Adare, past Rathkeale, then through Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale. At Castleisland the road for Killarney goes via Farranfore onto the N22. It is the same corridor the Expressway route 14 bus follows, and the quickest way in almost every case.

The slow points are the towns. The N21 still runs along Adare's main street, a well-known bottleneck, and through the centres of Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale. An Adare bypass is under construction and is scheduled to be finished by June 2027, ahead of the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor. Until then, allow extra time on summer afternoons.

For Kenmare you carry on through Killarney and south on the N71, about 33km and 30 to 45 minutes more. Hotels out on the Ring of Kerry itself, around Waterville or Sneem, are a longer day again. The Ring is 179km of mostly narrow road, and tour coaches drive it anticlockwise, via Killorglin first, because they struggle to pass each other.

The Tarbert ferry: an option worth knowing

The Shannon Ferries crossing from Killimer in Co. Clare to Tarbert in Co. Kerry takes about 20 minutes. When we checked in November 2026 it sailed hourly, from Killimer on the hour between 9am and 7pm and back from Tarbert on the half hour. In peak season two ferries run, giving a sailing every half hour. It runs every day except Christmas Day, and you cannot book: cars board in the order they arrive.

From Shannon Airport, though, it is usually the slower way to Killarney. The drive to Killimer is about 62km (around 55 minutes), and from Tarbert to Killarney is about 74km (around an hour). Add the crossing and up to an hour's wait for the next sailing in winter, and you are looking at roughly 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours, against 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours via Limerick.

Where the ferry earns its place:

  • You have spent a night or two in West Clare first. Lahinch is about 42km from Killimer, and going back through Limerick from there is the long way round
  • You are heading for Ballybunion, Listowel or Tralee rather than Killarney

Watch the last sailing: in winter it leaves Killimer at 7pm.

Your options from Shannon

Private transfer

A driver meets you in arrivals, the flight is tracked so an early or late landing is covered, and you go door to door with no change, including to Kenmare or a hotel on the Ring. With luggage or golf clubs, it is the simplest way to do a two-hour run on the day you land.

For a sense of what the market charges, the National Transport Authority sets the maximum taxi fare. On our arithmetic from the NTA's published rates, a taxi meter over 129km would come to roughly €220 at the standard rate (8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday) and about €280 at the premium rate (nights, Sundays and public holidays). That is before the €3 booking fee and €1 for each extra adult, and slow traffic pushes a meter up. A group of four with luggage may also need two taxis.

Hire car

Hire firms have desks at Shannon; Europcar's, for example, is in the main arrivals hall. Europcar wants a credit card, not a debit card, in the main driver's name for the deposit, so check your own hire firm's terms before you fly.

Bus, with a change in Limerick

There is no direct bus. Bus Éireann route 343 runs between the airport and Limerick around the clock, every 20 to 30 minutes for most of the day and hourly overnight, and takes about 40 minutes to Colbert Station. From Limerick you have two choices (timetables checked November 2026):

  • Expressway route 14 from Colbert Station, with four departures a day on the timetable we checked (10.35am, 12.35pm, 2.35pm and 4.35pm), taking about 2 hours 5 minutes to Killarney Bus Station. It also calls at Kerry Airport
  • Dublin Coach route 300 from Arthur's Quay in the city centre, about every two hours, timetabled at 1 hour 40 minutes to Mission Road in Killarney

Door to door, route planners put the whole journey at about 3.5 to 4 hours, depending on how the connection falls. For Kenmare, Bus Éireann route 270 runs from Killarney several times a day and takes about 45 minutes.

Train

There is no rail station at Shannon Airport, so you first take the bus to Limerick. From there the train to Killarney means changing at Limerick Junction, and often at Mallow as well, and route planners give about 3 hours for that leg alone. With the airport bus on top, you are past 4 hours, so the bus is quicker.

Kerry Airport as an alternative

Kerry Airport is at Farranfore, about 13 to 17km from Killarney, a drive of 15 to 20 minutes. In 2025 Ryanair flew twice a day between Kerry and Dublin, alongside routes to London Luton, London Stansted and Manchester. Avis, Budget and Payless have hire desks there, and the Expressway 14 bus runs on to Killarney in about 30 minutes.

It makes sense if you are coming from the UK or Europe, or connecting through Dublin anyway and would rather a short hop than a two-hour drive. From North America, though, Shannon is the direct option, as Kerry's schedule is Dublin, UK and European routes. In summer 2026 Delta flew daily from New York JFK and United daily from Chicago, and Shannon has full US preclearance for the flight home.

When a hire car makes more sense

We would not talk you out of a car if:

  • There are one or two of you with light bags, and you are staying a week or more
  • You want to tour the Ring of Kerry, Dingle or Beara at your own pace, stopping where you like
  • You are comfortable driving on the left on narrow roads

It makes less sense after an overnight transatlantic flight, with two hours on the left through Adare and Newcastle West ahead of you, if your hotel is in Killarney town and you will walk most evenings, or if you want a drink with dinner. The legal limit for a fully licensed driver is 50mg per 100ml of blood, and the Road Safety Authority's guide is to allow at least one hour per standard drink before driving.

A common middle way is a transfer on the day you land, then a hire car from Kerry Airport for the days you want to explore.

Questions people ask

How long is the drive from Shannon Airport to Killarney?

About 129km, which takes 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours via Limerick, Adare and Abbeyfeale, longer on summer afternoons.

Is there a direct bus from Shannon Airport to Killarney?

No. Take Bus Éireann route 343 to Limerick (about 40 minutes), then Expressway route 14 or Dublin Coach route 300 to Killarney. Allow 3.5 to 4 hours in total.

Is the Tarbert ferry quicker from Shannon to Killarney?

Usually not. The ferry route takes about 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours once you add the crossing and the wait, against 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours via Limerick. It is worth it if you are coming from West Clare or heading to Ballybunion or Tralee.

Should I fly into Kerry Airport instead of Shannon?

If you are flying from the UK, Europe or via Dublin, Kerry puts you 15 to 20 minutes from Killarney. From North America, Shannon has the direct flights and US preclearance on the way home.

How far is Kenmare from Shannon Airport?

About 160km, or 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes by car through Killarney and then south on the N71.

Dowling Executive Travel drives Shannon Airport to Killarney, Kenmare and hotels around the Ring of Kerry, in a Mercedes V-Class for up to 6 passengers or a 16-seat Mercedes Sprinter for bigger groups. We track your flight, meet you in arrivals with a name board, and agree a fixed price before you travel. Send us your flight details and hotel through the quote form, email info@det.ie or call 085 164 0618.

Related: Airport transfers · Kerry golf trip transport · Shannon Airport transfers guide · What a chauffeur costs in Ireland

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