Irish Ferries News

The White Cliffs of Dover: Tickets now on sale as Irish Ferries will operate a Dover-Calais ferry service next week (Tuesday, 29 June). AFLOAT adds Isle of Inishmore relocated from Rosslare-Pembroke duties in April went for dry-docking in Brest, France followed by modifications works in Odense, Denmark. Among shipyard works, see the bow's 'cow-catcher' to enable combatibility at ro-ro berths at the UK's busiest ferryport (above) and the French port where the ferry also arrived on Saturday to carry out berthing trials. Note also at the bow, ICG /Irish Ferries houseflag (and on Irish Sea fleetmates) also operate UK 'land-bridge' routes connecting mainland Europe, will provide customers an inclusive through service.

Dover-Calais Newcomer Irish Ferries Put Tickets On Sale for Service Starting Next Week

22nd June 2021 Irish Ferries

Irish Ferries' move into the competitive Dover-Calais route is where the operator now has tickets on sale, reports KentOnline, in addition pictures released to give a first glimpse as to what to expect. The new service launches next Tuesday, June…

Chief executive of the Port of Dover, Doug Bannister says he is 'delighted to welcome Irish Ferries' and it would 'complement the resilient services currently provided'. Above AFLOAT' file photo Isle of Inishmore which is to start a new 'freight' service on the premier Dover-Calais route next month. The cruiseferry is seen with trucks on the linkspan at Rosslare Europort, from where a replacement ferry Blue Star 1 currently operates to Pembroke in south Wales.

English And French Unions to Fight Arrival of Irish Ferries New Service on Dover-Calais Route

26th May 2021 Irish Ferries

UK and French unions claim the firm, Irish Ferries, which already operates Ireland-UK and Ireland-France routes, is aggressively low-cost and will seriously damage existing services and result in a lowering of standards. Cross-Channel (Strait of Dover) ferry firms are hoping…

ICG's passenger division, Irish Ferries carried 15,900 cars in the months from January to May - a decrease of 62.5% on the previous year. Above Afloat's photo of a van on the linkspan leading to the cruiseferry W.B. Yeats when berthed at Dublin Port.

Trading Revenues at Irish Ferries Down 9% So Far this Year

13th May 2021 Irish Ferries

Irish Continental Group, owner of Irish Ferries said its group revenue for the first four months of 2021 came to €89.3m, an increase of 0.4% compared with last year and a 12.7% decrease on 2019. As RTE News reports, the…

Paul Grant Stena Line's Trade Director for the Irish Sea

Stena Line & Irish Ferries Call for Restoration of the Common Travel Area Into Ireland

6th May 2021 Ferry

Irish Ferries and Stena Line, the two key players in Ireland’s ferry industry, are today calling for the reopening of the Common Travel Area (CTA) at the earliest opportunity. They also welcome comments made last week by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar,…

Blue Star 1 in previous ‘superfast’ livery while servicing routes in the Greek islands

Irish Ferries Introduces Newer, Faster Ship on Rosslare–Pembroke Route

29th March 2021 Irish Ferries

Irish Ferries has announced the addition of the RoRo passenger ferry Blue Star 1 to its Rosslare–Pembroke Dock route. The ship is being chartered from the Attica Group and delivery is expected in early April. Blue Star 1 was built…

A newer and faster passenger ro-ro ferry from Greece, Blue Star 1 is to enter Rosslare-Pembroke Dock route. The chartered ferry from the Mediterranean, is to replace Ireland-Wales route's Isle of Inishmore which opens a new service for ICG, notably on the Dover-Calais service. As for the 'blue' hulled livery for Blue Star 1, this is existing, though for the charter, the Irish Ferries name and funnel colours, Afloat adds in reality have already been applied at Piraeus yard. The last and only time a 'blue' hull appeared for Irish Ferries was their former 'Rosslare'-based France routes cruiseferry, Oscar Wilde.

Charter of Newer & Faster Passenger RoRo for Irish Ferries Rosslare - Pembroke Route

26th March 2021 Irish Ferries

With Irish Ferries to launch a first ever service on a UK-France route next month, the company also announced the addition of a passenger ro-ro ferry Blue Star 1 to its Rosslare to Pembroke Dock route. The ship (to replace…

In a significant first for Irish Ferries, a subsidiary of Irish Continental Group (ICG), which is to launch a new service on the Dover – Calais route. The Strait of Dover service is planned to start in June 2021, with the transfer of the Isle of Inishmore to the UK-France route. ICG add further capacity will be added in the coming months. Replacing 'Inishmore' on the Rosslare-Pembroke Dock route will be another Mediterranean ferry (see: Ferry News 11th Feb) with the latest charter of ro-ro ferry Blue Star 1 from Greek based Attica Group, (Afloat adds operator of Superfast Ferries) for more on 'Superfast' sisters, see same story from last month.

New Service As Irish Ferries Announce Launch on 'Dover – Calais' Route

26th March 2021 Irish Ferries

A first for Irish Ferries, as the subsidiary of Irish Continental Group plc (ICG) has announced a new service on the Dover – Calais route. The service is planned to start in June 2021, with the transfer of Isle of…

Irish Ferries' car carryings during 2020 were down by 65.8% to 137,100 cars. Above Ulysses on Dublin Bay, AFLOAT adds during its delivery voyage /maiden arrival to Dublin Port on 4th March 2001. This month also marks its 20th year operating on the core Irish Sea route of Dublin-Holyhead. The custom Finnish built cruiseferry, has recently returned to service following a routine overhaul dry-docking at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead on Merseyside. Taking its place was W.B.Yeats which has since resumed Dublin-Cherbourg duties.

Travel Restrictions on Irish Ferries from Covid Hit ICG's 2020 Performance

11th March 2021 Irish Ferries

Irish Ferries, owned by the Irish Continental Group, has reported lower revenues and earnings for 2020 due to Covid-19 travel restrictions on its passenger business. Irish Continental Group said its revenues for the year fell by 22.5% to €277.1m from…

The W.B Yeats cruise-ferry. Irish Ferries contends that a decision by the National Transport Authority requiring it to pay compensation to many of the 20,000-plus passengers who had to change their travel plans is invalid.

Irish Ferries Setback In Bid to Avoid Compensating 20,000 Passengers Hit by Cancelled Sailings

5th March 2021 Irish Ferries

Operator, Irish Ferries has suffered a setback in its legal challenge to avoid paying compensation to thousands of passengers whose trips were cancelled on sailings between Ireland and France in the summer of 2018. The ferry company contends that a…

Irish Ferries throws a lifeline as it signed a 10 year contract to continue using the south Wales ferryport of Pembroke Dock which links Rosslare Harbour. AFLOAT also adds is the operator's Isle of Inishmore, off the jetty of the Pembrokewhire port. In neighbouring Fishguard Harbour (owned by Stena) which also competes with their route also linking with the Wexford port.

Ferryport in South Wales Sees Irish Ferries Sign 10-Year Deal with Pembroke Dock

28th February 2021 Irish Ferries

Ferryport of Pembroke Dock is where fears that the south Wales port could become a casualty of Brexit have proved unfounded, with Irish Ferries signing a 10-year deal with the Port of Milford Haven. The company has signed the deal…

ICG, operator of Irish Ferries,has chartered in a Mediteranean based ferry, Mega Express Four (ex Superfast II) to cover sailings on the Dublin-Holyhead route while Ulysses heads for dry-docking. Above the distinctive yellow hulled ferry seen is seen in sunnier climes as AFLOAT took, when approaching Nice following a crossing from Corsica. At that stage, 2010, the ferry was only four years in service for the Corsican operator that also has services among them to Sardinia.

ICG Charter Ship from Mediterranean for Irish Ferries Overhaul Dry-Dockings

11th February 2021 Irish Ferries

Irish Continental Group has chartered a ship from Corsica Ferries, to provide routine annual overhaul cover over the winter season for their division Irish Ferries, writes Jehan Ashmore. Mega Express Four during its Mediterranean Sea career had been normally on…

Irish Ferries added freight capacity this weekend noting new competition from Stena Line on the Dublin-Cherbourg. The Irish ferry operator introduced Epsilon as the 'second-ship' joining cruiseferry W.B. Yeats. Both the 'Visentini' ro-pax Epsilon and 'E-Flexer' ro pax Stena Estrid addresses demand more directly from the Irish capital to mainland Europe following the recent rapid rise of new route/services based through the south-east port of Rosslare Europort. The Epsilon returned to Dublin Port (today at noon) and in the file scene is likwise of the current grey skies!

Irish Ferries Face Competitor By Boosting Freight Capacity With Second Ship on Dublin-Cherbourg Service

31st January 2021 Irish Ferries

Irish Ferries have further responded to demands from hauliers and new competition from Stena by boosting freight capacity with a second ferry added onto the Dublin-Cherbourg service this weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat ascertained this development having observed the chartered…

W.B. Yeats brings a boost in freight capacity as the giant ferry entered months earlier than scheduled on the Dublin Port -Cherbourg route .

Irish Ferries Boost Freight Capacity As W.B. Yeats Enters Service Early on Direct France Route

11th January 2021 Irish Ferries

W.B. Yeats, the largest ferry operating out of Dublin Port has switched from the Holyhead route to Dublin-Cherbourg due to the continued surge in freight demand on direct routes to France, writes Jehan Ashmore. The 165 freight accompanied unit capacity…

Boss Eamon Rothwell of ICG (operators of Irish Ferries) has said exporters will continue to opt for the ‘faster, cheaper’ UK landbridge to Europe. Above Afloat's photo of the forward section of W.B. Yeats berthed at Dublin Port with loading underway.

ICG Boss of Irish Ferries Says Exporters to Continue Using ‘Faster, Cheaper’ UK Landbridge Despite Brexit

6th January 2021 Irish Ferries

The CEO of the company that operates Irish Ferries has said that exporters will continue to use the ‘faster, cheaper’ UK landbridge between Ireland and mainland Europe despite Brexit. As Extra.ie reports, goods going between EU countries and Britain now…

Most people will not be able to travel from Holyhead to Dublin this year. Above ferries inbound from the north Wales port approach the Irish capital.

Travel Ban Extended (Ireland Covid-19): Latest Advice from Stena Line & Irish Ferries

24th December 2020 Irish Ferries

Ferry and air travel from the UK to Ireland will be banned for most people until the end of the year. The Irish cabinet, reports NorthWalesLive, has agreed that the current travel restrictions between Ireland and Britain will remain in place…

The body of a man was found on the shore near Ynys Y Fydlyn in Anglesey on Wednesday. Above a UK Coastguard helicopter involved in the search off north Wales.

Search for Missing Irish Ferries Crew Member Leads to Body Found

8th October 2020 Irish Ferries

In the search for a missing Irish Ferries crew member a body of a man has been discovered. North Wales Police have confirmed that the discovery was made on the shore near Ynys Y Fydlyn in Anglesey on Wednesday morning.…