--- title: "Ireland Airport Smoking Areas" canonical: "https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/" language: "en-us" description: "Dublin Airport (DUB) has The Garden Terrace after security; Shannon (SNN) an outdoor area after security too; Cork (ORK) smoking areas outside the terminal." lastmod: "2026-10-17T00:00:00Z" --- # Ireland Airport Smoking Areas Yes, you can smoke at Irish airports, and at two of them after security: at [Dublin Airport (DUB) on The Garden Terrace](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/dub-dublin-dublin-airport-smoking-zones/), an outdoor beer garden on the upper level of Terminal 1 near gates 101-224, served by a small bar (ask staff about the airside walk from Terminal 2), and at [Shannon Airport (SNN) next to the transit lounge](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/snn-smoking-at-shannon-airport/), an outdoor area up two flights of stairs from the main bar and duty-free area, as Brendan M, a reader, described it on 4 September 2026\. Elsewhere, smoking is outside the terminals, before security: Dublin’s outdoor areas at its departures entrances, Shannon’s designated area outside the terminal front, and at [Cork Airport (ORK)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/ork-smoking-at-cork-airport/) the two smoking areas along the outside front of the terminal that travellers described in July 2026\. Ireland was the first country in the world to ban smoking in every enclosed workplace: Section 47 of the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2002 took effect on 29 March 2004 and covers airports, restaurants and pubs. For airport smokers, the consequence is that every smoking area at these three airports is open-air; the terminals themselves allow no smoking inside. ## How Irish Airport Smoking Works Section 47 of the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2002, as amended in 2004, bans the smoking of a tobacco product in a place of work, which includes an airport terminal, and allows no smoking room inside one; its exemptions cover a place wholly uncovered by a roof and a roofed outdoor area with no more than half of its perimeter walled (Section 47(7)). A person who smokes where it is banned faces a fine of up to €3,000 on summary conviction, a class B fine of up to €4,000 under the Fines Act 2010\. Section 47 covers the smoking of tobacco only: it does not name e-cigarettes, which the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 regulates for sale and age limits, not for use, so each airport sets its own vaping rule. In practice: - **Dublin (DUB):** The Garden Terrace in Terminal 1 after security; outdoor areas at the departures entrances of both terminals; the Terminal 1 departures area is a smoking and vaping area, with no vaping rule published for the terrace - **Shannon (SNN):** an outdoor area after security next to the transit lounge, and a designated area outside the terminal front; vaping allowed only at those two areas, with a second operator sentence saying e-cigarettes cannot be used within the premises, so ask staff - **Cork (ORK):** no smoking area listed by the airport; travellers described two along the outside front of the terminal in July 2026; no vaping rule published - **Heated tobacco:** none of these three airports publishes a rule, so ask staff ## Dublin Airport (DUB) Ireland’s primary international gateway. Two terminals (T1 and T2). After security, [The Garden Terrace in Terminal 1](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/dub-dublin-dublin-airport-smoking-zones/) is the airport’s only smoking area, an outdoor beer garden on the upper level near gates 101-224. Landside, outdoor smoking areas sit outside the departures entrances of both terminals; the Terminal 1 area was refreshed in September 2026\. The airport publishes no airside route from Terminal 2 to the terrace, so ask staff there or smoke before security. Dublin also runs a US pre-clearance facility with no smoking facilities and no way back out, so have your last cigarette on the terrace first. The Dublin guide has the directions and the Terminal 2 detail. ## Cork Airport (ORK) The main airport in the south of Ireland. [Cork Airport lists no smoking area](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/ork-smoking-at-cork-airport/) on its pages; travellers described two smoking areas along the outside front of the terminal in July 2026, before security, so smoke there and ask staff for the nearest one. The airport lists no smoking area after security, so a connection means leaving the terminal and clearing security again. ## Shannon Airport (SNN) Western Ireland, with a US Preclearance facility for outbound passengers. [Shannon has two designated smoking areas](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/snn-smoking-at-shannon-airport/): an outdoor area after security next to the airport’s transit lounge, up two flights of stairs from the main bar and duty-free area, as Brendan M, a reader, described it on 4 September 2026, and a designated area outside the front of the terminal building, before security. The airport lists no smoking area after US Preclearance, so smoke before you go through. The airport allows vaping only at the two designated areas and also says e-cigarettes cannot be used within the premises, so ask staff before vaping. ## Tips for Smokers at Irish Airports - Every smoking area at Dublin, Shannon and Cork is open-air: Irish law allows no smoking room inside an airport - Dublin’s Garden Terrace (T1, upper level, gates 101-224) is the airport’s after-security smoking area; Shannon’s is the outdoor area next to the transit lounge, two flights of stairs up from the main bar and duty-free - Connecting through Dublin from T2? Ask staff about the airside walk to the terrace, or smoke before security - Cork lists no smoking area after security, so a smoke break there means leaving the terminal and clearing security again; at Shannon the transit-lounge area avoids that, until US Preclearance, after which the airport lists none - Vaping: Dublin calls its Terminal 1 departures area a smoking and vaping area; Shannon allows vaping at its two smoking areas and also says e-cigarettes cannot be used within the premises; Cork publishes no rule; ask staff at all three, and for heated tobacco everywhere - US Preclearance at Dublin has no smoking facilities and no way back out; at Shannon, smoke before Preclearance ## Ireland Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor \& After Security | Airport | After security | Indoor room | Outdoor area | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Cork Airport (ORK)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/ork-smoking-at-cork-airport/) | – | – | Yes | | [Dublin Airport (DUB)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/dub-dublin-dublin-airport-smoking-zones/) | Yes | – | Yes | | [Shannon Airport (SNN)](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/snn-smoking-at-shannon-airport/) | Yes | – | Yes | ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can you smoke at Irish airports? Yes — at designated smoking areas, all of them outdoors. Dublin (DUB) has The Garden Terrace in Terminal 1, an outdoor beer garden on the upper level near gates 101-224 that sits after security (from Terminal 2, ask staff about the airside walk or smoke before security); Shannon (SNN) has an outdoor smoking area after security next to the transit lounge, up two flights of stairs from the main bar and duty-free area, plus a designated area outside the terminal front; Dublin has outdoor areas at its departures entrances, and at Cork (ORK) travellers described two smoking areas along the outside front of the terminal in July 2026\. Irish law allows no smoking room inside an airport, so every smoking area at these airports is open-air. ### Where can I smoke at Dublin Airport (DUB)? At The Garden Terrace in Terminal 1, an outdoor beer garden on the upper level near gates 101-224, after security. Landside, outdoor smoking areas sit outside the departures entrances of both terminals. The airport publishes no airside route from Terminal 2, so ask staff there or smoke before security. The US pre-clearance zone has no smoking facilities and no way back out; the Dublin guide has the directions. ### Are there smoking areas at Cork and Shannon airports? Yes, at both. Cork (ORK) lists no smoking area on its pages; travellers described two smoking areas along the outside front of the terminal in July 2026, before security, and the airport lists none after security, so a connection there means leaving the terminal. Shannon (SNN) has two designated smoking areas: one outside the terminal front, before security, and an outdoor area after security next to the transit lounge, which Brendan M, a reader, described on 4 September 2026 as up two flights of stairs from the main bar and duty-free area. ### Are e-cigarettes and vapes allowed at Irish airports? Ireland’s smoking ban covers the smoking of tobacco, not vaping, so each airport sets its own vaping rule. Dublin calls the refreshed outdoor area outside Terminal 1 departures a smoking and vaping area and publishes no vaping rule for The Garden Terrace, the Terminal 2 area or heated tobacco, so ask staff. Shannon allows vaping only at its two designated smoking areas and also says e-cigarettes cannot be used within the airport premises, so ask staff before vaping there. Cork publishes no vaping rule, so ask staff. ### Can I smoke during an Irish airport layover? Yes — at Dublin, The Garden Terrace in Terminal 1 is airside, so a connection through Terminal 1 needs no exit and no re-screening; from Terminal 2, ask staff about the airside walk or smoke before security. Shannon’s outdoor area next to the transit lounge is after security, so a connection there needs no exit either; after US Preclearance the airport lists no smoking area, so smoke before you go through. At Cork, the airport lists no smoking area after security, so a smoke break means leaving the terminal and clearing security again.