Summer is always a manic period at the airport and facilities get quite busy with all the holiday traffic. Dublin Airport is no exception to this, with people crammed into every nook and cranny waiting about for flights. There are four secret gates in the terminal, which few know about and are therefore devoid of passengers.

Those wanting a tranquil oasis of calm would want to mosey on down to this part of the airport. When I passed through there were three people in there, all airport staff who seemed to be on their break. When the staff are avoiding the general hubbub somewhere, you know it must be a good place to chill out.

The Secret Gates of Dublin Airport

The gates in question are located in the original terminal at the airport, a listed building which opened in early 1941. You can usually see the white building when heading over to the Ryanair gates via the long bridge structure.


Four gates are airside in this building but at the moment appear to be unused. These are gates 217-220, which are shown on the interactive map on the Dublin Airport website. Perhaps the secret gates are not so secret after all?


No flights are listed as departing from there, which means passengers have no reason to head down there. Hence the space is virtually empty and very quiet.

How About Some Pictures?

You find the gates by heading to the 200 gates in Terminal 1. When you follow the signs, you turn left to get to all the usual 200 gates and turn right and go down the escalators to find the secret gates 217-220.


While I didn’t check to see if there were power points for device charging, it’s quiet as a library down there. Perfect for reading or just enjoying some quiet time.

Overall Thoughts

I was quite surprised when I heard there were some unused gates in the old terminal, so I made a point of checking them out last time I passed through. Definitely the quietest place in T1, even more so than the DAA lounge!

Those travelling through Terminal 2 might be jealous they are missing out, but there are often quiet places to find down in the gates area. Even so, you can happily walk between T2 and T1 using the link corridor where the Aer Lingus lounge and East Lounge are. It’s not exactly far, so you could visit the secret gates if you had time on your hands.

Did you know about these four orphan gates in the original terminal at Dublin Airport? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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Original terminal by O’Dea via Wikimedia Commons.