It really depends on your plans! Both Dublin and Shannon work well - the best choice comes down to whether you’ll be renting a car or utilizing public transportation and whether you have plans to explore Ireland. Dublin Airport: About 130 miles to Sligo (≈ 3.5 hours by bus, 2.5 hours by car). Best for guests not renting a car since there are direct buses to Sligo and from Galway back to Dublin on the back end. Also a great choice if you’d like to spend time in Dublin either before or after the wedding. Shannon Airport: About 110 miles to Sligo (≈ 2.5 hours by car). Best if you’re renting a car, since there aren’t direct buses to Sligo. Driving gives you flexibility and makes exploring the west coast easier. Ideal if you want to tack on some extra travel - Shannon airport is about a 1 hour drive from Galway. Other popular destinations like the Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry, and Dingle, are all more accessible from Shannon. Bottom line: Flying into Dublin = easiest and cheapest if relying on public transport. Flying into Shannon = better if you’re renting a car and want to explore Ireland’s west coast.
Airlines usually release flight schedules about 10-11 months in advance. For our September 2026 wedding, flights will likely become available around late October, early November. We inquired regarding group flight options with Aer Lingus for guests traveling roundtrip from Boston or New York to Dublin. If you’re traveling with 6 or more people on the same flights, you may qualify for Aer Lingus group fares. These fares include: • One checked bag (up to 50 lbs) • Ability to hold seats with a $100 refundable deposit per person • Final payment not due until 3 months before departure • Flexibility to finalize passenger names up to 45 days before travel If you’re interested in traveling as part of a group booking, reach out directly to the Aer Lingus Groups team at groupsdirect@aerlingus.com.
Absolutely not! Ireland has good public transportation and you’ll be able to get everywhere you need without driving. There’s a direct bus from Dublin Airport to Sligo town, and once you’re there, many of the hotels are just a 10–15 minute walk from the bus station. The church is also right within the town. We’ll be providing transportation from the church ceremony to the castle and back to the town hotels at night. We will also be providing transportation from Sligo to Galway for the rest of the wedding weekend. Getting around locally is easy too - Sligo has reliable taxi services, and Galway does as well. If you’re looking to explore a bit more, Galway has plenty of bus tours too that take you to the Cliffs of Moher and other day-trip destinations.
Staying right in Sligo town centre (there are hotels and Airbnbs) is probably the most convenient option since welcome drinks and the Cathedral are in/near the town centre. If you’re booking an Airbnb in town, a good anchor point to search is “Sligo Town Centre." For hotel room blocks, please see the Accommodation tab. If you’d prefer a more scenic, coastal/countryside feel, check out Rosses Point or Strandhill - both have B&Bs, hotels & Airbnbs. Both are about 10–15 minutes from Sligo town by car and taxis can get out to both areas easily. There's also the S2 town bus linking Strandhill ↔ Sligo town centre ↔ Rosses Point, which runs roughly every 30 minutes during the day and roughly every 60 minutes in the evenings.