Getting there
Getting here, and getting to the course
Killaloe is ten minutes off the M7 on the border of Clare and Tipperary. Shannon Airport is about 40 minutes away, Dublin Airport about two hours, and Adare Manor is 45 km to the south-west.
Flying in
Airports
| Airport | Drive to Killaloe | Why you'd use it |
|---|---|---|
| Shannon (SNN) | ~40 min · 40 km | Closest by far. Direct flights from New York, Boston, Chicago, Newark and several UK and European cities. US Preflight Clearance on the way home. Expect extra Ryder Cup charters. |
| Dublin (DUB) | ~2 hrs · 175 km | Most routes and the cheapest fares. Straight down the M7; the drive is motorway the whole way until the Killaloe turn at Birdhill. |
| Cork (ORK) | ~1 hr 45 · 130 km | Good UK and European connections. Handy if you plan to finish your trip with Kinsale and Old Head. |
| Kerry (KIR) | ~2 hrs · 150 km | Small regional airport with a few UK and European routes. Useful if you start in Killarney or Dingle and end with the golf. |
Hiring a car
A car makes it much easier to combine the golf with links courses and day trips. Book early for September 2027. If you are not used to a manual gearbox, book an automatic specifically; they are a minority of Irish hire fleets and go first. Many US credit cards exclude Ireland from their collision cover, so check yours and budget for the local waiver if needed.
Without a car: Killaloe and Ballina have regular Bus Éireann services to Limerick Colbert station (about 40 minutes), from which trains run to Dublin, Cork and Galway and the official Ryder Cup shuttles depart. Details and timetable links are below.
Match-day transport
Getting to the course on match days
There is no spectator parking at Adare Manor. The organisers have three official ways in, and the National Transport Authority has put the bus and rail contracts out to tender. Timetables, booking and prices will be published nearer the event.
Recommended from Killaloe
Park & Ride
Temporary car parks around Adare with dedicated shuttles to the gates, 10 to 30 minutes depending on the site. Around 25,000 spaces are planned across sites east of Adare near Patrickswell on the N21 and west of the village near Croagh. Parking must be pre-booked and is charged.
From Killaloe: R494 to the M7, south past Limerick, N21 towards Adare. About 35 minutes to the Limerick-side sites.
Without a car
Train & Ride
Dedicated shuttle buses run from Limerick Colbert station to the event bus terminal in about 35 to 40 minutes. Reach Colbert from Killaloe by local bus or a 30-minute taxi.
Good option if your group wants a drink at the course. Galway, Ennis and Dublin trains also connect at Colbert.
From Dublin or Cork
Train & Walk
A shuttle train runs between Limerick Junction and a temporary Adare Manor platform, followed by a short walk to the gates. Intercity services from Dublin Heuston and Cork stop at Limerick Junction.
From Killaloe this is the long way round; use it only if you are coming from the Dublin direction that day.
Public transport from Killaloe and Ballina
We do not run shuttles ourselves. The table lists what exists today, with links to the timetables. Times are from the October 2026 schedules, so check the links before you travel. The organisers and Transport for Ireland are likely to add services for the week.
| Option | Route | Time | Frequency and notes | Timetable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 345 | Killaloe → Limerick Colbert bus & rail station | ~40 min | Four a day, seven days: around 07:19, 09:52, 13:26 and 16:54 from Killaloe. Pay by contactless card or TFI Leap. Fine for practice days and for evenings in town; too late for a Friday first tee. | Bus Éireann 345 |
| Bus 323 | Ballina → Limerick Colbert (Limerick – Killaloe – Nenagh – Birr route) | ~45 min | Three a day on weekdays, around 09:36, 14:07 and 19:06 from Ballina. Useful as a second option from the Tipperary side. | Bus Éireann 323 |
| Train from Birdhill | Birdhill station (5 km from Ballina) → Limerick Colbert | ~20 min | A handful of trains a day on the Limerick – Nenagh – Ballybrophy line, including an early-morning service. Taxi or lift to the station; no parking to speak of. | Irish Rail timetables |
| Taxi | Any of our homes → Limerick Colbert or the park-and-ride | 30–35 min | The practical choice for a 05:30 match-day start. Pre-book the night before; Killaloe has a few local firms and the Free Now app covers Limerick. Numbers are in the house folder. | Free Now |
| Official Train & Ride | Limerick Colbert → Ryder Cup bus terminal at Adare | 35–40 min | Dedicated shuttle buses run through the day from Colbert. Timetable and any booking details are released by the organisers nearer the event. | Ryder Cup transport |
| Official Park & Ride | Your car → park-and-ride site → shuttle to the gates | 10–30 min shuttle | Must be pre-booked and is charged; booking opens to ticket holders. Sites are planned east of Adare near Patrickswell (nearest from Killaloe) and west near Croagh. | Ryder Cup transport |
| Train & Walk | Limerick Colbert → Limerick Junction → shuttle train to the Adare Manor platform | ~20 min + shuttle | Mainly for people arriving from Dublin or Cork. From Killaloe it is the long way round unless Train & Ride is full. | Irish Rail |
What we would do
- Match days (Fri–Sun), first tee around 07:30: drive to the Patrickswell-side park-and-ride with a pre-booked slot, or take a pre-booked taxi to Limerick Colbert and the Train & Ride from there. The first local buses do not reach Limerick early enough. If people in your group want a drink at the course, taxi plus Train & Ride is the sensible option.
- Practice days (Tue–Thu): gates open later and there is less pressure on the shuttles. The 07:19 or 09:52 bus from Killaloe to Colbert and then the Train & Ride works fine and costs very little.
- Coming home: shuttles back to Colbert run until well after the last match. The last 345 bus leaves Limerick in the late afternoon, so plan on a taxi home from Colbert (about 30 minutes) or arrange for one person to collect.
- Plan the whole trip in one place: the Transport for Ireland journey planner and the TFI Live app show real-time buses and trains for the whole region.
Going home. At Paris and Rome the shuttle queues were worst in the 45 minutes after the last match finished. Either leave while the last group is on the 16th, or stay for the ceremony and wait an hour at the course bars.
In the house folder
- Bus and train timetables for the week
- Local taxi numbers
- The turn-by-turn route below, and the official diversion map once it is published
The drive
The drive, turn by turn
Killaloe or Ballina to the M7
Cross the new Brian Boru Bridge (opened May 2025) and follow the R494 south to Birdhill. About ten minutes. The new road bypasses the old single-lane bridge, which used to be the bottleneck.
M7 south past Limerick
Join at junction 27 (Birdhill). Stay on the M7 around the city on the Limerick Southern Ring (it becomes the N18/M20 briefly). About 20 minutes.
N21 towards Adare
Exit for the N21 Tralee/Killarney road. Patrickswell and the proposed park-and-ride entrances are the first few kilometres along here. Follow event signage from this point; do not continue into Adare village.
Routes and site entrances will be confirmed by the organisers and An Garda Síochána. Satnav will try to route you through Adare itself; event signage overrides it.
Sources
- Ryder Cup 2027: official transport page
- Irish Examiner: Patrickswell park-and-ride planning application
- Limerick Leader: NTA park-and-ride and train contracts
- RTÉ: Brian Boru Bridge and Killaloe bypass opening
- Adare Manor: location and airport times
- Transport for Ireland: bus and rail timetables and journey planner