Thousands of Irish tourists are jetting off for any last-minute summer holidays to make the most of the sun.

Cash-strapped holidaymakers have been using a number of tricks to avoid extra airline fees all through the summer, especially on short-distance flights. One particular hack involves throwing all your items into your hand luggage so you don't have to pay for a check-in bag.

However, travellers should take note that Dublin Airport and airlines like Ryanair and Aer Lingus have a list of items that have been banned from restricted airport areas and planes. These include common, everyday items that may be potentially used as weapons.

Carrying these items in your luggage could result in disruptions while going through security which may cause you to miss your flight. If you are unsure about any security issues, or if you want to bring certain goods when flying you should contact your airline directly for advice before flying.

Read more: Confusion at Dublin Airport as fire alarms ring out in Terminal 2

Here is a full list of items that have been banned from restricted airport areas and flights:

Projectile-firing weapons

  • Firearms, toy or replica guns, firearm parts (except telescopic sights), airguns, pellet guns, BB guns flare guns or starting pistols.
  • Bows or crossbows or arrows.
  • Harpoon guns and spear guns.
  • Slingshots and catapults.

Stunning devices designed specifically to stun or immobilise

  • Stun guns, tasers and stun batons.
  • Animal stunners and animal killers.
  • Disability and incapacitating chemicals, gases and sprays such as mace, pepper sprays, capiscum sprays, tear gas, acid sprays and animal repellent sprays.

Sharp items

  • Knives (with blades over 6cm).
  • Razor blades, box cutters, scissors (with blades over 6cm from the fulcrum).
  • Axes, hatchets, cleavers, ice axes or ice picks.
  • Swords, sabres, sharp or pointed martial arts equipment.

Trade tools

  • Crowbars, drills and drill bits, saws, blowtorches, bolt guns, nail guns, or any tool with a blade or shaft over 6cm e.g. screwdrivers or chisels.

Blunt instruments

  • Objects capable of being used to cause serious injury when used to hit including, sporting bats, clubs, batons, and marital arts equipment.

Explosives and incendiary substances and devices

  • Ammunition, blasting caps, detonators and fuses, mines grenades and other explosive military stores.
  • Fireworks and other pyrotechnics, smoke-generating canisters or cartridges.
  • Dynamite, gunpowder, and plastic explosives.
  • Any other article that could reasonably be used or adapted to cause injury to a person.

Read more: Dublin jobs: Recruitment day planned by Ryanair for 150 cabin crew roles

Aer Lingus banned hand luggage items

Guns, firearms and other devices that discharge projectiles-devices capable, or appearing capable, of being used to cause serious injury by discharging a projectile, including:

  • firearms of all types, such as pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns,

  • toy guns, replicas and imitation firearms capable of being mistaken for real weapons, component parts of firearms, excluding telescopic sights,

  • compressed air and CO2 guns, such as pistols, pellet guns, rifles and ball bearing guns,

  • signal flare pistols and starter pistols, - bows, cross bows and arrows,

  • harpoon guns and spear guns,

  • slingshots and catapults;S

Stunning devices - devices designed specifically to stun or immobilise, including:

  • devices for shocking, such as stun guns, tasers and stun batons,

  • animal stunners and animal killers,

  • disabling and incapacitating chemicals, gases and sprays, such as mace, pepper sprays, capsicum sprays, tear gas, acid sprays and animal repellent sprays;

Objects with a sharp point or sharp edge -objects with a sharp point or sharp edge capable of being used to cause serious injury, including:

  • items designed for chopping, such as axes, hatchets and cleavers,

  • ice axes and ice picks,

  • razor blades,

  • box cutters,

  • knives with blades of more than 6 cm,

  • scissors with blades of more than 6 cm as measured from the fulcrum,

  • martial arts equipment with a sharp point or sharp edge,

  • swords and sabres;

Workmen's tools-tools capable of being used either to cause serious injury or to threaten the safety of aircraft, including:

  • crowbars,

  • drills and drill bits, including cordless portable power drills,

  • tools with a blade or a shaft of more than 6 cm capable of use as a weapon, such as screwdrivers and chisels,

  • saws, including cordless portable power saws,

  • blowtorches,

  • bolt guns and nail guns;

Blunt instruments-objects capable of being used to cause serious injury when used to hit, including:

  • baseball and softball bats,

  • clubs and batons, such as billy clubs, blackjacks and night sticks,

  • martial arts equipment;

Explosives and incendiary substances and devices-explosives and incendiary substances and devices capable, or appearing capable, of being used to cause serious injury or to pose a threat to the safety of aircraft, including:

  • ammunition,

  • blasting caps,

  • detonators and fuses,

  • replica or imitation explosive devices,

  • mines, grenades and other explosive military stores,

  • fireworks and other pyrotechnics,

  • smoke-generating canisters and smoke-generating cartridges,

  • dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives.

Ryanair banned hand luggage items

Any item which could be a danger to the plane, people or property, including the following:

  • Explosives and substances and devices capable of, or appearing to be capable of, causing serious injury or posing a threat to the safety of the plane, including, detonators and fuses, replica or imitation explosive devices, mines and grenades

  • Gas and gas containers

  • Flammable liquids

  • Flammable solids and substances that cause a chemical reaction

  • Fireworks, flares, smoke-generating canisters or cartridges, and other pyrotechnics

  • Paint, turpentine, white spirit and paint thinner

  • Alcohol with an ABV of more than 70% (140% proof)

  • Chemicals, toxic substances or infectious substances (for example, acids and alkalis, ‘wet’ batteries, bleach, tear gas, animal-repellent sprays, poisons, infected blood, and bacteria and viruses)

  • Radioactive material, including medicinal or commercial isotopes

  • Corrosives, including mercury, vehicle batteries, and parts which have contained fuel

  • More than one litre in total of edible oil (for example, olive oil)

  • Lithium ion battery-powered vehicles (including segways and hoverboards) other than any wheelchair or mobility equipment that meets our regulations

  • Lithium ion battery-powered devices that exceed 160 watt hours

  • Smart bags which the lithium battery has not been removed from

  • Guns, firearms, ammunition and weapons, whether real or imitations, including, starting pistols, toy guns or recreational guns (such as paint ball guns), nail guns, bows, slingshots, catapults, harpoon guns, stun guns, tasers, cattle prods and lasers

  • Parts of firearms (except for sighting devices and sights)

  • Fire extinguishers (except as authorised by fire procedures and as emergency equipment on the plane)

  • Lighters and firelighters

  • Christmas crackers

  • Energy-saving light bulbs

  • Items with internal combustion engines.

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