Experience Irish Hospitality: New Pub Opens at Dublin Airport T2

A NEW “TRADITIONAL Irish pub” has opened in Terminal 2 of Dublin Airport. A spokesperson for Dublin Airport said Ryan’s Pub, which is created by hospitality portfolio The Wright Group, will offer passengers “great pints, comforting pub food and a warm dose of Irish hospitality before take-off”. Ryan’s Pub, which will open everyday from 4am, is located just past duty free in T2 and Dublin Airport said it will “blend the charm of a classic Irish local with the buzz of Ireland’s busiest international gateway”. The pub’s name and inspiration comes from a photograph by photojournalist Tom Lawlor of Mary Ryan hanging out her washing in her back garden in the shadow of an Aer Lingus jumbo jet at Dublin Airport. Dublin Airport remarked that generations of the Ryan family went on to work at the airport because they lived so close, and remarked that this “connection continues to this day and makes the name a fitting tribute to the airport’s rich community history”. Ronan Fitzsimons, Commercial Director at Dublin Airport, said he had heard “loud and clear from passengers that they wanted a traditional Irish pub in Terminal 2”. Meanwhile, Michael Wright, CEO of The Wright Group, remarked that “Ryan’s pub celebrates a strong family legacy and the spirit of a true Irish local”. He added: “We’ve created a warm, authentic and welcoming space at Dublin Airport, and we’re proud to add Ryan’s to our airport portfolio while creating new jobs in the Fingal area.’’ Advertisement Elsewhere, The Clipper Bar & Kitchen will open in Terminal 1 Arrivals in the coming weeks, serving an all-day breakfast and bar menu. It’s inspired by the Clipper aircraft that operated the first transatlantic flights between New York and Foynes, Co. Limerick. Passenger numbers A record 36.4 million people passed through Dublin Airport in 2025, representing a more than 5% increase on the previous year. The new record continues a trend of increasing passenger numbers at the airport; the number of passengers going through the airport has risen by 46% since 2015. Meanwhile, the passenger cap, which limits the number of passengers to 32 million per year, is currently suspended and has been the subject of much debate in recent years. It is a condition of the planning permission granted for the construction of Terminal 2 in 2007. Taoiseach Micheál Martin recently said it is “imperative” the passenger cap is lifted and Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has expressed his intention to propose legislation to do so this month. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary today used a press conference about his spat with Elon Musk to scrap the passenger cap. “We believe the cap is illegal”, O’Leary said, citing the EU’s right to freedom of movement. O’Leary labelled Micheál Martin a “do-nothing Taoiseach” because the government has so far not followed through on a commitment made to scrap the passenger cap.