Displaying items by tag: Name New Cruiseferry

3rd September 2017

Competition Launched to Name Biggest New Irish Sea Cruiseferry

#Competition - A competition has been launched by Irish Ferries to name their new €144m cruiseferry, which will be the biggest ever ferry to operate on the Irish Sea.

The 55,000 tonne ship is due to enter service in mid-2018. The winner of the naming competition will get free travel for life on Irish Ferries’ services, while 20 more will get runner-up prizes.

Capable of handling 1,885 passengers and crew and 500 vehicles, the new giant cruiseferry currently under construction in Germany for owners ICG (see related report) is expected to begin services next summer on the Dublin to Holyhead route.

In addition the new cruiseferry with 440 cabins featuring suites with their own private balconies will also at weekends sail between Ireland and France.

The ferry operator said a literary name is suggested for competition entries as the current fleet has traditionally had names inspired by Irish literature, including Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and Ulysses. This cruiseferry introduced in 2001, is so far the biggest on the Irish Sea until the new maritime giant makes her debut next year during the holiday season.

Passenger facilities will include bars and lounge space, restaurants, cinemas, and a shopping mall. Freight drivers will have dedicated facilities and likewise for pet owners.

On the vehicle decks there will be space for almost three kilometres in lanes of car deck space.

Published in Ferry

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.