Getting to UL from the Airport
Shannon Airport is located 24km from Limerick City and is well-serviced by Bus and Taxi Services.
There are a number of bus services which connect Shannon Airport to Limerick City, including Route 51 and Route 343, with a drop-off point located at Limerick Bus Station in Limerick City Centre.
Buses depart from just outside the amount terminal. Tickets can be purchased online or on the bus itself. Please note: Cash may be required to purchase the ticket on the bus.
View timetables and more information.
If you are availing of the above public bus service, please see the below 'Getting Here from Limerick City Centre' section which will advise you on how to get from Limerick City Centre to the University of Limerick.
Alternatively, there is an airport cab and taxi desk located in the Arrivals Hall. The average cost is approximately €50-€70.
UL Global will be offering a free airport collection service for students arriving at Shannon Airport on Sunday Sept 1st & Monday Sept 2nd.
Please note the Shannon Airport Collection Service operates between 8am to 7pm only. If you are arriving at Shannon Airport outside of these hours, you must arrange for your own transport.
Offer-holders have been emailed with further information on how to sign up for the Shannon Airport Collection Service.
Dublin Airport is located 192km from Limerick City and is well-serviced by public transport services. If your flight arrives into Dublin Airport late at night, we recommend that you stay at one of the airport hotels before travelling to Limerick the following day. There are a number of hotels located close to the airport including the Carlton Hotel, Clarion Hotel and Radisson Blu Hotel.
By Bus
Big Green Bus / Dublin Coach
Dublin Coach has frequent services connecting Dublin Airport with Limerick and directly to the University of Limerick as well as Limerick City Centre.
If availing of a Dublin Coach when travelling to Limerick, you will need to take the 726: N7 Service bus from Dublin Airport to the Red Cow LUAS stop and then change over to the 300:M7 Express Service which will travel from the Red Cow LUAS to the Stables bus stop at the University of Limerick campus.
You do not need to buy separate tickets for the N7 Service and M7 Express service. Tickets can be purchased online or on the coach.
The Dublin Coach collection point at Dublin Airport for passengers travelling to Limerick is Zone 16.
You can watch a video of how to get from Dublin Airport to UL here.
CityLink
CityLink offers 10 daily non-stop bus services between Limerick City and Dublin Airport. The journey time is only 2 hrs 30 mins. Book online in advance to guarantee your seat on board and to avail of online exclusive fares.
The Limerick service departs from Zone 12 in Dublin Airport and has drop-off points in Castletroy (opposite the Hurler’s Pub) and Limerick City Centre (Arthur’s Quay).
JJ Kavanagh
JJ Kavanagh offers multiple daily departures from Dublin Airport to Limerick. The Limerick service (route 735) departs from Zone 16 and has drop-off points at the UL Campus (Stables) and Limerick City Centre (Arthur’s Quay). There are a number of drop-off points along the way - if you feel like exploring the Midlands!
Passengers are urged to plan their journeys in advance and book their seats before travelling.
FlightLink
FlightLink offers daily direct services to and from Dublin Airport. The Limerick service departs from Zone 12 and has drop-off points at the UL Campus (Stables) and Limerick City Centre (Arthur’s Quay) and Limerick Raheen.
By Train
We know some of you like to spend a day or two in Dublin when studying at the University of Limerick.
There are frequent train services between Dublin Heuston Station and Limerick Colbert Station. Some services require you to change at Limerick Junction. The journey takes approximately two hours. Further information can be found on the IrishRail website.
There are many bus services that connect Dublin Airport to Heuston Rail Station including Airlink Express which are operated by Dublin Bus.
Train services in Limerick stop at Limerick's Colbert Station, from Colbert Station you will need to avail of public transport to get to the University of Limerick. Please see the below 'Getting here from Limerick City Centre' for guidance on this.
By Car
Dublin is just a two hour drive by motorway (M7) from Limerick. Route planners to help you plan your trip to Limerick are available on Google Maps.
By Bus
City Link offers frequent services between Cork Airport and Limerick. The Limerick service (Route 251) leaves from directly outside the main terminal and has drop-off points in Raheen and Limerick City Centre (Henry Street). Passengers are encouraged to book online in advance to guarantee your seat on board and to avail of online exclusive fares.
Please note: if you are getting the Citylink service to Limerick City, you will need to avail of public transport options from Limerick City. Please see the below section 'Getting here from Limerick City Centre'.
By Car
Cork is a 90 minute drive from Limerick (M20/N20). Route planners to help you plan your trip to Limerick are available on Google Maps.
If you are arriving to our UL campus by public transport, there will be a shuttle bus service from the UL Stables bus stop to all villages on campus and Troy Village. This service runs on Sunday, 1 September from 10am to 10pm and on Monday 2 September from 10am to 6pm. No need to sign up, you can just hop onto the shuttle bus when you arrive in UL.
Getting to UL by car
Dublin is just a two hour drive by motorway (M7) and Limerick is less than 1.5 hours from Ireland’s other main urban centres. Cork is just a 90 minute drive from Limerick (M20/N20) while Galway is approximately 80 minutes on the M18.
Route planners to help you plan your trip to Limerick are available on Google Maps
Getting to UL by Train
There are frequent train services to Limerick Colbert Station from different places in Ireland. Some services require you to change at Limerick Junction. Further information can be found on the IrishRail website.
Getting to UL by Ferry
There are no ferries sailing into Limerick. However there are frequent ferries sailing direct from the UK, France and Spain to Ireland, making it easy to get the ferry to Limerick, you’ll just need to add a short drive.
For more information on these routes see:
Getting to UL from Limerick City Centre
If you are arriving into Limerick City Centre, please note that UL is located in Castletroy, approximately 4km away. There are frequent bus services connecting Limerick City Centre with UL, including the 304,304A and the 310 bus. Adult fares range from €1.90 to €2.20. These fares are only available from bus-drivers and must be purchased using cash. Please ensure to have coins or small cash notes are drivers may not be able to accept cash notes.
There are a number of bus stops located in Castletroy in close proximity to the University of Limerick. You should disembark at the University of Limerick (Stables) bus stop (number 16 on the campus map).
Further information on these bus routes:
If you have a lot of luggage with you, you may prefer to take a taxi. It is possible to hail a taxi from the street, but convenient taxi ranks are located on O'Connell Street and William Street. Some taxis will accept card payments but others will only accept cash, so be sure to ask the taxi-driver if they accept card if you do not have cash. The average cost from Limerick City Centre to UL is approximately €15-€20.
If you prefer to book a taxi, Swift Taxis are a local taxi service which accept all major credit and debit cards. Tel: +353 (61) 313131 / +353 (61) 414141. Alternatively, you can book and pay for a taxi via the Swift Taxis app FreeNow app.
Travel Tips
Transport for Ireland offers a range of features which will help you to plan your journey:
- Real Time App | Transport for Ireland: Offers real-time departure information and travel updates from public transport services across Ireland
- Journey planner (transportforireland.ie): Lets you see all the public transport options and helps you plan your journey times more accurately.
- Taxi Fare Estimator | Transport for Ireland: Provides an estimate fare based on your journey information.
The information contained in the University of Limerick Web pages is, to the best of our knowledge, true and accurate at the time of publication and is solely for informational purposes. Changing circumstances may cause the University to change its provisions at any time. The University of Limerick accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising as a result of use or reliance on these Web pages or on the information thereon or in respect of information accessed via any links from the Web pages