72 hours in Shannon and beyond
County Clare is the Ireland you've pictured in your imagination — a land of rolling countryside, craggy coastlines and towns and villages full of history. Once you arrive in Shannon, a large stretch of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way is ready to be explored from there. To help you see and experience as much as possible in 72 hours, here are the essentials to exploring Shannon and beyond.
Where to stay
If you fly into Shannon Airport, the town of Shannon can become your gateway to the region. The Clare capital is Ennis, a city centrally placed where you'll find lodging options for all budgets. However, we suggest you head to Ballyvaughan, an hour's drive north, and check in at Gregans Castle Hotel, an 18th century manor house with contemporary rooms. It sits in the heart of the beautiful Burren, boasts award-winning food and is well positioned for exploring the region.
What to see
If you only witness one of County Clare's many natural wonders, make it the Cliffs of Moher. The county's most visited tourist destination, the cliffs rise as high as 700 feet in places. Climb a little higher by visiting O'Brien's Tower and you're guaranteed sweeping views of the Atlantic. If you're feeling energetic, the coastal walk spans just over 11 miles from Liscannor to Doolin and will reward you with more breathtaking views along the way, but if you choose to drive instead, the views are still impressive.
In Doolin, you can take a Doolin Ferry to the Aran Islands, home to many historic sites, including the prehistoric fort of Dún Aonghasa and the medieval ruins of the Seven Churches. If you explore Doolin itself, you're close to the 16th Century Doonagore Castle and Doolin Cave — the latter being home to the Great Stalactite, which is as large and impressive as its name suggests.
County Clare's second most visited attraction is the ancient monument Poulnabrone Dolmen, the oldest dated megalithic monument in Ireland. For the uninitiated, expect a large tabular capstone perched atop stone uprights — and have your camera at the ready.
From there, a short drive south brings you to the breathtaking, limestone covered Burren National Park. With more than 3,700 acres of walking, cycling and driving routes, this park can fill hours, an entire day or as long as you choose to set aside.
At some point during your stay, head south for Loop Head Peninsula, the slender finger of land that points out into the Atlantic, and County Clare's most westerly point. The drive itself is part of the attraction; a picturesque journey that can take you via Doonbeg and the seaside resort of Kilkee.
When you reach Loop Head, you'll learn why it was voted the best place to holiday in Ireland. Walking, cycling and pony trekking trails, snorkeling, windsurfing and seaweed baths merely scratch the surface of the attractions available, not to mention dolphin and whale watching. Indeed, there's so much to experience that you wouldn't regret spending one of your nights at Loop Head.
Where to eat
In a county perched on the Wild Atlantic Coast, it's hard not to find exceptional seafood with stunning views. Some of the best examples can be found at The Old Bake House Restaurant in Milltown Malbay, Barrtrá Seafood Restaurant overlooking Liscannor Bay, The Long Dock in Carrigaholt, Vasco at Fanore, and Lisdoonvarna's Wild Honey Inn. Whichever you choose, order the oysters which are exceptionally fresh.
But if seafood isn't to your taste, L'Arco in Ballyvaughan frequently wins awards for its Italian food, and the Burren Food Trail offers many great options, too. Held each Monday and ever changing, the trail celebrates the best local food experiences, taking you from smokehouses to cheese farms to cookery classes in local farm kitchens.
Where to drink
There are hundreds of bars to choose from, but the most distinctive are those that add to the county's reputation as the home of Irish music. Combine a pint with a band of fiddlers, flutists, banjos and bodhrans and you'll have found the Ireland you were looking for. Some of the best examples include Joseph McHugh's Pub in the harbor village of Liscannor and Durty Nelly's in Bunratty, where the thirsts of weary travelers have been quenched since the 1700s. Keating's Bar is supposedly the closest bar in Ireland to New York City – courtesy of its position way out west on the Loop Head Peninsula.
But if you only seek out one pub during your visit, make it Gus O'Connor's Pub in Doolin, the epicenter of traditional Irish music. It opened its doors in 1832 and the music has barely stopped since. Alternatively, Doolin Music House offers a more intimate setting, where its owner Christy Barry invites you into his home to play local Irish music and tell tales around the fire.
When to visit
Ireland's weather is known to change often, particularly on the windswept west coast, but it's not an island of extremes and rarely gets too hot or cold. July and August are the height of summer, with the longest daylight hours and, theoretically, the best weather. They also bring the biggest crowds and higher hotel rates, but to pack as much in as possible, that's a price worth paying. Whatever month you visit, make sure to pack for rain.
Getting there
United Airlines flies seasonal, nonstop flights between Newark and Shannon, Ireland until October 30. For more information and to book your next adventure to Shannon and the cities beyond, visit united.com or download the United app and share your story using #UnitedJourney.
Where to stay
If you fly into Shannon Airport, the town of Shannon can become your gateway to the region. The Clare capital is Ennis, a city centrally placed where you'll find lodging options for all budgets. However, we suggest you head to Ballyvaughan, an hour's drive north, and check in at Gregans Castle Hotel, an 18th century manor house with contemporary rooms. It sits in the heart of the beautiful Burren, boasts award-winning food and is well positioned for exploring the region.
What to see
If you only witness one of County Clare's many natural wonders, make it the Cliffs of Moher. The county's most visited tourist destination, the cliffs rise as high as 700 feet in places. Climb a little higher by visiting O'Brien's Tower and you're guaranteed sweeping views of the Atlantic. If you're feeling energetic, the coastal walk spans just over 11 miles from Liscannor to Doolin and will reward you with more breathtaking views along the way, but if you choose to drive instead, the views are still impressive.
In Doolin, you can take a Doolin Ferry to the Aran Islands, home to many historic sites, including the prehistoric fort of Dún Aonghasa and the medieval ruins of the Seven Churches. If you explore Doolin itself, you're close to the 16th Century Doonagore Castle and Doolin Cave — the latter being home to the Great Stalactite, which is as large and impressive as its name suggests.
County Clare's second most visited attraction is the ancient monument Poulnabrone Dolmen, the oldest dated megalithic monument in Ireland. For the uninitiated, expect a large tabular capstone perched atop stone uprights — and have your camera at the ready.
From there, a short drive south brings you to the breathtaking, limestone covered Burren National Park. With more than 3,700 acres of walking, cycling and driving routes, this park can fill hours, an entire day or as long as you choose to set aside.
At some point during your stay, head south for Loop Head Peninsula, the slender finger of land that points out into the Atlantic, and County Clare's most westerly point. The drive itself is part of the attraction; a picturesque journey that can take you via Doonbeg and the seaside resort of Kilkee.
When you reach Loop Head, you'll learn why it was voted the best place to holiday in Ireland. Walking, cycling and pony trekking trails, snorkeling, windsurfing and seaweed baths merely scratch the surface of the attractions available, not to mention dolphin and whale watching. Indeed, there's so much to experience that you wouldn't regret spending one of your nights at Loop Head.
Where to eat
In a county perched on the Wild Atlantic Coast, it's hard not to find exceptional seafood with stunning views. Some of the best examples can be found at The Old Bake House Restaurant in Milltown Malbay, Barrtrá Seafood Restaurant overlooking Liscannor Bay, The Long Dock in Carrigaholt, Vasco at Fanore, and Lisdoonvarna's Wild Honey Inn. Whichever you choose, order the oysters which are exceptionally fresh.
But if seafood isn't to your taste, L'Arco in Ballyvaughan frequently wins awards for its Italian food, and the Burren Food Trail offers many great options, too. Held each Monday and ever changing, the trail celebrates the best local food experiences, taking you from smokehouses to cheese farms to cookery classes in local farm kitchens.
Where to drink
There are hundreds of bars to choose from, but the most distinctive are those that add to the county's reputation as the home of Irish music. Combine a pint with a band of fiddlers, flutists, banjos and bodhrans and you'll have found the Ireland you were looking for. Some of the best examples include Joseph McHugh's Pub in the harbor village of Liscannor and Durty Nelly's in Bunratty, where the thirsts of weary travelers have been quenched since the 1700s. Keating's Bar is supposedly the closest bar in Ireland to New York City – courtesy of its position way out west on the Loop Head Peninsula.
But if you only seek out one pub during your visit, make it Gus O'Connor's Pub in Doolin, the epicenter of traditional Irish music. It opened its doors in 1832 and the music has barely stopped since. Alternatively, Doolin Music House offers a more intimate setting, where its owner Christy Barry invites you into his home to play local Irish music and tell tales around the fire.
When to visit
Ireland's weather is known to change often, particularly on the windswept west coast, but it's not an island of extremes and rarely gets too hot or cold. July and August are the height of summer, with the longest daylight hours and, theoretically, the best weather. They also bring the biggest crowds and higher hotel rates, but to pack as much in as possible, that's a price worth paying. Whatever month you visit, make sure to pack for rain.
Getting there
United Airlines flies seasonal, nonstop flights between Newark and Shannon, Ireland until October 30. For more information and to book your next adventure to Shannon and the cities beyond, visit united.com or download the United app and share your story using #UnitedJourney.

On March 19, 2020, United operated its first flight carrying cargo without passengers on board. While the passenger cabin was empty, its cargo hold was completely full, carrying more than 29,000 pounds of commodities from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA).
A year later, United Cargo has operated more than 11,000 cargo-only flights carrying more than 570 million pounds of freight. To support the COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts, United Cargo has also transported more than 113 million pounds of medical and pharmaceutical products on both cargo-only and passenger flights as well as approximately 10 million COVID-19 vaccines, providing global communities access to the items they have needed most.
"At the beginning of the pandemic, we knew we were uniquely positioned to utilize our widebody aircraft and our network to keep commodities moving, so we quickly mobilized various departments throughout the airline to launch a cargo-only network of flights that would keep commodities moving," said United Cargo President Jan Krems. "Thanks to those efforts, United Cargo has delivered millions of items to countries all around the world. We would not have been successful without the steadfast support of our employees, industry partners and our customers."
Since last March, United Cargo has transported almost 850 million pounds of freight on cargo-only and passenger flights. The airline will continue to monitor market trends adjust its cargo-only flight schedules to help ensure we are meeting our customer's evolving shipping needs.
Whether you haven't flown with us for a while or just need a quick refresher before your spring trip, read this list of tips to know before your flight and arrive at the airport travel-ready:
1. Download the United app for contactless bag check, travel assistance and more
Before your flight, download the United app to view your flight status, check in, sign up for flight notifications, locate departure gates, access our free personal device entertainment when available and more. We've also updated our app with new features that can make your trip a little safer, including contactless bag check.
Don't forget to use Agent on Demand for help with any and all questions you may have before your flight. This new capability is available at all our U.S. hub airports and allows you to use your own mobile device to contact a customer service agent via phone, video or chat to help with day-of-travel questions while you're at the airport. Learn more about Agent on Demand here.
2. Check out the Travel-Ready Center
Our Travel-Ready Center makes it easy to get a personalized overview of everything you need to do in preparation for your flight. Just enter your confirmation number or MileagePlus® number and you'll find detailed information on all the documents, tests and more that you'll need for your trip.
3. Read and sign the Ready-to-Fly checklist
Before completing check-in, all United travelers will need to read our Ready-to-Fly checklist and confirm that they understand and agree to our policies. These include:
Acknowledging that you haven't had any symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 14 days
Agreeing that you will not fly if you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 21 days
Confirming that you will follow all policies regarding face masks, social distancing and other health and safety measures we've adopted
4. Arrive early; avoid the stress
Airports can be busy, especially during peak travel periods like spring break season. The TSA advises arriving at the airport two hours before your flight for domestic travel and three hours for international travel in anticipation of long security lines. This can help ease the stress when navigating busy check-in areas, security lines and crowded boarding gates.
5. Get familiar with CleanPlus
United CleanPlus℠ is our commitment to delivering industry-leading cleanliness as we put health and safety at the forefront of your experience. We've teamed up with Clorox to redefine our cleaning and disinfection procedures and Cleveland Clinic to advise us on enhancing our cleaning and disinfection protocols, like:
Disinfecting high-touch areas on board and in the terminal
Using electrostatic spraying, Ultraviolet C lighting wands and more advanced measures to clean aircraft cabins before boarding
Redesigning our mobile app to allow for touchless check-in and contactless payment, along with enhanced travel assistance features
Implementing high-efficiency (HEPA) filters on our aircraft that completely recirculate cabin air every 2-3 minutes and remove 99.97% of airborne particles, including viruses and bacteria
Studies show COVID-19 exposure risk is minimal when air filtration systems and masks are in use, so you can rest assured that the steps we've taken to keep you safe truly make a difference.
6. Wear your mask
Federal law requires all travelers to wear a face mask in the airport, including customer service counters, airport lounges, gates and baggage claim, and on board during their entire flight. Make sure you review the requirements for face masks, including what an acceptable face mask looks like.
7. Get ready for a safer boarding process
To make boarding even safer, we now have travelers board their aircraft from back to front. At the gate, just listen for your row number to be called – we'll ask a few rows at a time to board, starting with the last row of the plane. This helps everyone maintain a safe distance from each other during boarding without slowing things down. As you step onto the plane, flight attendants will hand each passenger a sanitizing towelette, which you can use to wipe down your seat to ensure it's extra clean.
8. Pack smart
Before packing your bags, check to see what exactly you can carry on and what you should plan to check. You can also copy your confirmation number into our Baggage Calculator tool to learn about the bag allowance included with your reservation, as well as the cost of checking any additional bags.
9. Check your flight status, important notices and weather
Check the United app regularly for the latest updates on weather conditions, flight status, gate numbers and seat assignments. You can also visit our Important Notices page to find essential information and updates about travel waivers, international travel, TSA and security, airports and United Club locations.
10. Relax and enjoy your flight
Once you're on board, it's time to sit back and enjoy your flight. Our flight attendants will be happy to help you with anything else you need.
This week, we were honored to become the first U.S. airline to join the UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative to combat the COVID-19 pandemic by transporting the vaccine and other critically needed supplies to underserved areas of the globe.
"We are committed to helping the global community in any way we can, and we all must work together to do our part to bring this health and humanitarian crisis to an end," said Director of Cargo Specialty Products Manu Jacobs.
We will leverage our expertise to transport these critical pharmaceutical and healthcare shipments around the world safely, efficiently and expediently. We are proud to partner with the United Nations to support this global effort and provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Together, we are facing an unprecedented challenge. United Together, we rise to meet that challenge.
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Calling all AvGeeks and travelers! Take your next video call from a United Polaris® seat, the cockpit or cruising altitude with United-themed backgrounds for use on Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Newly added to our collection is a background encouraging our employees and customers to vote. Our mission is to connect people and unite the world — and one of the most important ways to do that is to engage in the democratic process. No matter which party you support, we know our democracy will be stronger if you make your voice heard and vote.
So for your next meeting or catch up with friends and family, download the app to either your computer or mobile device to get started.
To use on Zoom:
- Start here by downloading your favorite United image to your computer or mobile device. Just click "download" in the bottom left corner of the image.
- Next go to your Zoom app (you'll need to download the app to access backgrounds) and click on the arrow to the right of your video camera icon in the bottom of the screen.
- From here select, "choose virtual background" to upload your uniquely United photo.
To use on Microsoft Teams:
- Start by downloading your favorite United image to your computer. Just click "download" in the bottom left corner of the image.
- If you're using a PC, copy the image you want to use into this folder:
- C:\[insert your device user name here]\AppData\Microsoft\Teams\Backgrounds\Uploads
- If you're using a Mac copy the images to this folder on your computer:
- /users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams/Backgrounds/Uploads
- If you're using a PC, copy the image you want to use into this folder:
- Once you start a Teams meeting, click the "…" in the menu bar and select "Show background effects" and your image should be there
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This is why we fly.
20 UCSF Health workers, who voluntarily set aside their own lives to help save lives, are on their way to New York City.
We are humbled by your selfless sacrifice.
Thank you.
#UnitedTogether #UCSFHeroes
In celebration and appreciation of all first responders and essential workers. 👏🏻👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾👏🏿
This is the story of Jason and Shantel. You see, Jason and Shantel love each other very much. They also love traveling and they love the classic Adam Sandler film, The Wedding Singer.
It all began when Jason reached out to United's social media team, hoping for assistance with his upcoming plan to propose. Some phone calls and one borrowed guitar later, the stage was set for Jason. Put all that together, mix in some helpful United employees and, voila, you have a truly memorable marriage proposal. Congratulations to this fun-loving and happy couple, and here's to many more years of making beautiful music together.
A big thank you to Chicago-based flight attendants Donna W., Marie M., Karen J. and Mark K. for making this proposal come to life.
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