The short answer: since 7 September 2026 you can carry liquids, gels and aerosols in containers of up to 2 litres through security at Shannon, and your laptop stays in your bag. Flying to the US? You clear US immigration at Shannon, before you board.
Two hours before a short-haul flight, three before long-haul or the US.
Shannon has been a proper airport longer than most of us have been alive, and it has the one thing only Dublin can match: you land in America having already done the boring part. Wouldn’t it be great at every airport?
Security: what changed
Shannon Airport announced on 7 September 2026 that liquids, aerosols and gels in containers of up to 2 litres can now go in your hand luggage, replacing the old 100ml limit. Its 3D scanners, installed in 2021, mean laptops and other devices no longer need to come out of the bag.
The catch: the airport you fly home from may still have the old rules, and the airport itself warns that other airports may have different requirements. Pack the big sun cream and the duty-free gin for the stricter airport, or put them in the checked bag.
Flying to the US
US preclearance is in the departures area. You go through US customs and immigration at Shannon, so you arrive in the US like a domestic passenger. It adds time at the airport, and queues can be longer when a US flight is boarding, so do not cut it fine. Give yourself the full three hours.
Have the passport out and the address you’re staying at ready, and don’t be trying jokes with the officer, love. He’s heard them all.
Getting there
- By car: the airport is about 25km from Limerick and 20km from Ennis. Short-term and long-term car parks are next to the terminal. Book online before you go.
- By bus: Bus Éireann routes including the 51 and X51 link the airport with Limerick, Ennis and Galway. Weekend services can be less frequent, so check the timetable the day before.
- Taxis: they wait outside the terminal. Pre-book for early flights.
- Staying over: there is a hotel directly opposite the terminal.
Nice to know
- Shannon is described as the world’s first duty-free airport.
- There is free Wi-Fi throughout the terminal.
- A sensory room and a children’s play area are near Gate 7.
Where you can fly to
From Shannon, this site covers Majorca, Tenerife, Alicante, Faro and the Algarve, Corfu and Fuerteventura, with city breaks to Budapest, Kraków and Rome, and New York for the preclearance.
Seven things nobody tells you
- Don’t assume the 2 litre rule works at the airport you fly home from. It mightn’t, and you’ll be crying over a litre of gin.
- Passport out and ready for US preclearance, and the address you’re staying at. No fumbling.
- Allow the extra time on summer mornings, when the queues build quickly.
- Take a photo of where you parked.
- Fill a water bottle after security.
- If you’re getting the bus, check the first and last times for your day, especially at weekends.
- Pre-book the taxi for the early flight. A taxi at 4am is a lottery.
Liquids rules checked against Shannon Airport’s announcement of 7 September 2026. Parking, bus and facility details are from airport guides published in September 2025. They do change, so check the Shannon Airport website before you go.
