Dublin airport Priority Pass “T1 Lounge” quick review

Yesterday, I flew through Dublin, Ireland and had a chance to check out the T1 Lounge there thanks to my Priority Pass membership. I was pleasantly surprised by this lounge. While it won’t win any awards for its dazzling array of food and drinks, the food was both better and more extensive than I’d expected based on the couple of quick reviews I’d checked. This isn’t a top Priority Pass lounge, but if you’re connecting in Dublin you can certainly grab a bite and a better place to sit than in the terminal.

Dublin International Airport Terminal 1 Priority Pass lounge: “T1 Lounge” location & access

If I hadn’t read a review of the lounge before trying to find it, I would have almost certainly missed it. A review I’d read said that immediately after passing through security, you’d have to turn around and and go up a staircase in a direction that would almost look like you were intending to leave the secure area (though you are not leaving the secure area, it’s just that the entrance staircase / lift is really oddly placed).

That was totally accurate. I didn’t take a picture of the entrance since most places strongly discourage photos of the security operation and it would be impossible to get a picture of the entrance without including security lanes. If you pass through security and immediately turn around to face the direction you came from, the T1 entrance is to the left of center, but somewhere in the middle of the airport security operation. In fact, there were some officers standing around and some sort of room with a bunch of computer equipment was open in the area of the entrance — it definitely didn’t look like it would be an area open to passengers if you didn’t see the signage (which I’ll note was clear enough above and on the elevator and at a desk, but you’d have probably assumed that the desk was an airport security desk if you hadn’t already figured out that you were heading to the lounge).

Many customers will get access based on class of service with participating airlines. That said, the lounge is also easily accessible with Priority Pass, and that’s how we entered this lounge. I had recently added my sister as an Authorized User on my Chase Ritz-Carlton card and activated her free Priority Pass. She used her new Priority Pass to get all 5 of us into the lounge (the Ritz card still offers unlimited guests). Others with a Priority Pass membership, which comes as a standard benefit on many rewards credit cards, should be able to access this lounge.

Dublin Airport T1 Lounge quick thoughts

This wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination among the nicest Priority Pass lounges I’ve visited, but it had plenty going for it:

• With two fairly large rooms, was ample seating. We had no trouble getting a few little tables for our party of 5.
• A decent variety of food items, from a few buffet-style options to a soup and various breads, to muffins and pastries, to cold cuts, and even some packaged pre-made sandwiches and hummus-and-veggies combos. Nothing was gourmet, but having skipped eating on my flight in favor of sleep, I was very hungry when we arrived and reviews had made me concerned that I would also be hungry when I left, but I had no problem finding enough to eat.
• Service was very friendly
• The lounge has showers. That said, it was a single shower inside the restroom with a door that wasn’t locked, so it didn’t feel quite the same as a typical lounge shower aera.

T1 Lounge pictures

I only took a few pictures of the lounge for this short review:

Overall, this isn’t a lounge that’s a destination on its own, but if you’re flying out of Dublin’s Terminal 1, it can probably save you some money over buying food in the airport.

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