Irish Ports Stories

At the Port of Sligo this morning, a general cargo ship, Wilson Lahn at the Deepwater Quay to load fishmeal, while another Wilson ASA operated cargo ship, Wilson Mosel, which last night completed loading the same cargo, is also seen at dawn, departing and bound for Norway. The scene of two ships at once at the north-west port follows the same scenario on 11 February, when more vessels of the Bergan-based operator, Wilson Ruhr, departed the port and also went to Norway, while Wilson Elbe was inbound. Up until then, a two-ship scene was a rare sight at the small regional port.

Busy Times at the Port of Sligo as Wilson ASA Cargo Ship Trio Load Fishmeal

11th March 2024 Ports & Shipping

While tracking vessels in the north-west today, among them passenger ferry Aran Islands Express, a trio of general cargo ships operated by Wilson ASA have been trading in the Port of Sligo at the weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore The operator…

Aran Islands Express, which has completed an overhaul at Mooney Boat, Killybegs, Co. Donegal, AFLOAT tracked this morning depart on its return passage to Co. Clare to resume 'seasonal’ ferry services for Doolin Ferry Co. In addition, this summer, the company is to introduce a new, larger passenger ferry, setting new standards of facilities on routes to the Atlantic archipelago.

Aran Islands Express Sets Sail Fresh From Overhaul as St. Patrick’s Day Fast Approaches

11th March 2024 Ferry

Doolin Ferry Co.’s 294-passenger Aran Islands Express this morning departed Killybegs, Co. Donegal, fresh from overhaul in readiness for St. Patrick’s Day and this year's season, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat tracked Aran Islands Express, having left Mooney Boats, the boat-builder,…

Alan Mulcahy's Albin Express Apache (left) was the winner of the first race of the Frank Godsell Kinsale Yacht Club March League at Kinsale

Apache Tops First Race of Frank Godsell Kinsale Yacht Club March League

11th March 2024 Kinsale

The Frank Godsell March League 2024 for mixed cruisers at Kinsale Yacht Club got off to an exciting start on Sunday. The fleet decided to round alternative turning marks after discovering that some of the prescribed buoys on the course…

“A History of Lifeboats in Dublin Bay”, an illustrated lecture by Cormac Lowth, takes place in the Maritime Museum, Haigh Terrace, Dun Laoghaire on March 12th at 1.30pm.

History of Dublin Bay Lifeboats Lecture On Tuesday By Maritime Historian Cormac Lowth

10th March 2024 Dublin Bay

While the RNLI celebrates its bicentenary, the first lifeboats in Dublin Bay date back to the early 19th century and were run by the Port Corporation. This is the subject of a talk by maritime historian and researcher Cormac Lowth…

A container ship docked at an Irish port

Appointment of Recognised Security Organisations (Ports)

10th March 2024 Ports & Shipping

The Marine Survey Office (MSO) of the Department of Transport has appointed four companies to the panel as Recognised Security Organisations (Ports) for the period covering 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028. These companies appointed as RSOs for the…

A Port of Cork Pilot on board inbound Eucon vessel Elbtrader as CLdN vessel Catherine is outbound with Cork Harbour Cruises vessel Spirit of Doolin on the right

New Ships, New LoLo Services Between Dublin, Cork and Rotterdam

10th March 2024 Ports & Shipping

CLdN, headquartered in Luxembourg, has chartered two 962 TEU lift-on / lift-off (LoLo) cargo vessels, M/V Pavo J and M/V Andromeda J) to sail new services between its recently acquired Distriport terminal in Rotterdam, Dublin and Cork. It says this…

Whisky Festival: In a campaign to have additional CalMac capacity to Islay, the Fèis Ìle Committee says that despite other island festivals in the summer season having additional ferry support, they have

World Famous Islay Whisky Festival at Risk Over Lack of CalMac Capacity

10th March 2024 Ferry

The organisers of one of the world's most famous whisky festivals in Scotland say it has been put at risk after being left "high and dry" due to the ongoing ferry fiasco at CalMac. Visitors to Islay, off the south-west…

ICG has chartered Transfennica’s Timca, a container/ro-ro (con-ro) carrier on a temporary basis to trade for Irish Ferries two Dublin-based routes to Holyhead and Cherbourg, France. Above the con-ro passes the same number of cooling towers in mainland Europe, from where the ice-strengthened 205m vessel had operated on a route linking Finland, Belgium, and also the UK. The freighter carried out berthing trails at Holyhead and previously at Cherbourg, when on a repositioning voyage to Dublin. Some of Timca’s earliest sailings from Holyhead, Afloat, observed on the Dublin Bay horizon, whereas this weekend is operating a Cherbourg round trip in tandem with W.B. Yeats, which for the first time on the Ireland-France routes sees a two-ship service resume when Oscar Wilde rejoins later this month, ending the charter of Timca.

ICG Charters Transfennica Con-Ro for Irish Ferries Dublin-Wales/France Routes As Oscar Wilde Covers Norbay's Dry-Docking

9th March 2024 Irish Ferries

Irish Continental Group (ICG), it is understood, has a ‘short-term’ freight charter of Transfennica’s container/ro-ro (con-ro) Timca, operating Irish Ferries two Dublin-based routes to Holyhead and Cherbourg, writes Jehan Ashmore. As previously reported, the freight-only Timca (details below) has replaced…

The Last Hurrah. The late Clayton Love Jnr and regular crewman Neil Hegarty revel in racing the 505 Miss Betty in IYA Dinghy Week in July 1970 at Ballyholme on Belfast Lough. This was to be Clayton Love’s last actively dinghy racing season, and it was also the last Dinghy Week, as the event had become too big for most sailing centres to handle

Clayton Love Jnr 1929-2024

9th March 2024 W M Nixon

The widely-mourned death of Clayton Love Jnr of Cork at the age of 94 may leave a void in the lives of his very large circle of family, friends and colleagues in many parts of the world and numerous areas…

P&O Liberté, the company’s newest hybrid ferry custom-built for the Dover-Calais route, which was due to debut in November but was delayed, has finally completed its delivery voyage from China. The new build, AFLOAT, tracked off Dover on sea trials in recent days and is back in port, is the second of twin ‘Fusion’ class ferries that is to enter service soon on the UK-France route and join last year’s leadship, P&O Pioneer, as the world’s largest double-ended hybrid ferries. The Fusion ships, costing £230m, use hybrid capacity to reduce carbon emissions by up to 40%, with capacity for more reductions when greater shore power is available.

P&O Ferries Decarbonisation of its Fleet as Second ‘Fusion’ Class Double-Ender Due to Debut on Dover-Calais

8th March 2024 Ferry

Dover-Calais operator, P&O Ferries has shared promising results from its new fuel and energy efficiency initiative following significant measures to reduce carbon emissions in 2023. The introduction of P&O Ferries’ new dedicated Fleet Support Centre for Fuel and Energy Efficiency,…

During 2023, taking all European Sea Port Organisation (ESPO) board meetings and technical committees together, women represented 41% of the port professionals participating in the meetings. ESPO is the principal interface between European seaports and the European institutions and its policy makers. Above last year’s ESPO General Assembly, in Bremen, Germany.

In 2023 Women Represented 41% of Port Professionals Participating in ESPO Work

8th March 2024 Ports & Shipping

In 2023, taking all ESPO board meetings and technical committees together, women represented 41% of the port professionals participating in the meetings. This is a slightly higher level compared to the share of women participating in 2022, which was 38%.…

Major European shipping operator, CLdN, is to add a new (Lo-Lo) container route from the Port of Cork to Rotterdam due to the increasing demand to move freight between Ireland and the continental mainland. The service from Ringaskiddy (above) to the Dutch port is to start this month and complements their existing (Ro-Ro) Cork-Zeebrugge link to Belgium.

CLdN to Launch New Port of Cork-Rotterdam (Lo Lo) Route and Expand Capacity Between the Dutch Port & UK

8th March 2024 Port of Cork

Compagnie Luxembourgouise de Navigation (CLdN) has announced the launch of a new container route between the Port of Cork and Rotterdam that is to start this month. Operating the route is CLdN Ro Ro S.A., which is chartering two 962…

Baltimore RNLI Rescue Team Evacuates a Medical Emergency from Cape Clear Island

7th March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats

Late on Wednesday night, Baltimore RNLI received a request from the Irish Coast Guard to provide a medical evacuation for a man living on Cape Clear Island, located off the coast of West Cork. The Baltimore all-weather lifeboat crew, consisting…

The shipyard group, Harland & Wolff has signed a contract for a five year subsea fabrication work at one of its yards, Arnish located on the Isle of Lewis (Outer Hebrides) off west Scotland. Above apprentices seen at the facility in recent years.

Contract for Five-Year Subsea Infrastructure Fabrication Work to Take Place at Harland & Wolff (Arnish) Scotland

7th March 2024 Shipyards

Shipyard group, Harland & Wolff has signed a five-year Master Services Agreement for the fabrication of large structures at one of their two Scotland based yard sites. The contract is with a global oil services company supplying subsea infrastructure across…

Oscar Wilde, on charter with Irish Ferries, started sailing last May, ‘initially’ on the Rosslare-Pembroke route. AFLOAT highlights that the cruise ferry, until last week, had to leave its Dublin-Holyhead/Cherbourg routes. This was due to the southern corridor route’s ropax ‘economy’ ferry, Norbay, on charter too, went for dry-docking, forcing a reintroduction of Oscar Wilde. It is speculated, ICG has a 'short-term’ charter of Timca, albeit a freight-only ferry, to replace Oscar Wilde and its double Dublin roles, given that sailings run to 18 March, supporting Wales serving Ulysses and to France with W.B. Yeats. On the next day, Oscar Wilde will be back in Dublin, as according to the sailing schedule, an ‘economy’ ferry, understood to be Norbay, returns to Rosslare. This would see Oscar Wilde resume Ireland/France routes in advance of summer, whereas fast ferry, Dublin Swift is to link Holyhead earlier in May.

Irish Ferries Owner Irish Continental Group Reports Higher Profits for 2023

7th March 2024 Irish Ferries

The parent company of Irish Ferries, the Irish Continental Group, has today reported higher profits for 2023, but this was set back as its revenues dipped against background challenges of high inflation coupled with a slowdown in global trade. According…

New Ross boatyard owner Michael Kehoe with the new boat hoist installed through the Brexit Blue Economy enterprise development scheme

New Ross Boat Yard Plans to Expand Work with Brexit Blue Economy Grant

7th March 2024 Marine Trade

A Co Wexford boatyard says that a €340,000 investment under the Brexit Blue Economy enterprise development scheme will allow it to work with heavier fishing and leisure vessels for dry dock and repair. New Ross Boat Yard has taken delivery…