In south-west Wales it was an end of an era at Fishguard yesterday, 13 July, as a much-loved Stena ferry left the Pembrokeshire port for the last time ever after more than two decades of service to Rosslare.

As the Western Telegraph reports, the Stena Europe has been operating on the St. Georges Channel run for the last 21 years, having originally served in Scandinavia and the North Sea for the Swedish based ferry company.

The veteran vessel dating to 1981 Afloat adds was the oldest ferry operating on the Irish Sea and was a twin of another former Rosslare ferry, Normandy which Irish Ferries had operated to France but the continental route is now based out of Dublin served by the W.B.Yeats.

Facilities on the Stena Europe included a tiered stern lounge comprising of a bar, stage and dance floor which was a pioneering feature that also appeared increasingly in that decade on cruiseships.

In more recent years, Stena introduced their Hygge Lounge. Also onboard is the Stena Plus lounge, a duty free shop, family lounge, children's playroom, cinema, self-service restaurant, ensuite cabins and extensive exterior decks.

At 24,828 tonnes the 149 metres ferry carried 480 cars or 1,120 lane metres of freight and up to 1,400 passengers and accommodation in 452 berths.

After the final sailing to Rosslare, the ferry departed Wexford, Afloat also adds today, 14 July, for Falmouth in Cornwall. This is to enable a dry-docking at A&P Falmouth of the ferry before a charter on the Gibraltar Straits takes place on a route between Spain and Morocco.

Replacing the ferry is the ropax Stena Nordica, which took up the service from Rosslare yesterday evening.

The ropax is no stranger to the Irish Sea as it operated on Dublin-Holyhead route between 2008-2015 and in recent years acted as a relief ferry also on the North Channel and the Rosslare-Fishguard route.

The newer 'Nordica' built in 2000 is of 24,206 tones and 170m long and can take 450 passengers, 300 cars or 1,700 lane metres of freight. This means that the ferry takes less passengers but more freight.

There are 152 cabins with a total of 222 berths.

For more on the replacement ferry on the Wales-Ireland route click here.

On social media, recent rumours that Stena Line is to stop operating the ferry service out of Fishguard to Rosslare Europort has been quashed by the company.

As the Western Telegraph writes, a Pembroke Dock social media group this weekend warned of more traffic through the south Wales port as it said that Stena was suspending its services out of Fishguard. The post was later deleted.

The ferry company issued a statement that dismissed the claims as speculation.

“There is no truth in this rumour and Stena Line remains fully committed to its services in Fishguard,” said a company spokesperson.

The route between Wales and Ireland has four daily crossings run by Stena Europe, on what is the shortest crossing on the St. Georges Channel which takes 3 hours 30 minutes.

Two sailings depart Fishguard at 1pm and 11.45pm. The corresponding return crossings from Rosslare depart at 7.30am and 6.15pm respectively.

The discontinued winter sailing schedule for this year is also expected not to be repeated during October 2012-March 2013. Fastnet Line's decision to make the Celtic Sea route into a shoulder season and summer only service follows a similar path taken by Stena Line which withdrew Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead (HSS) sailings in mid-September, for report click here. The central corridor route is due to reopen sometime in April or May 2012.

Cork City and County council and Kerry County council have provided €700,000 to support Fastnet Line and yesterday they announced an additional €150,000 in co-funding for the period of the examinership. In order to stabilise finances the ferry company are to radically reduce passenger capacity of the Julia (see photo) from 1,500 down to 950. This is in line with the capacities of the Julia serving 'night' sailings.

She has a crew predominately from Eastern Europe and Irish and UK deck officers. The Bermuda flagged, Hamilton registered vessel is currently berthed at Ringaskiddy Ferry Terminal, Cork Harbour. At 154m she is the largest ferry to date capable of berthing in the limited confines of the swing basin in Swansea and with a draft of 5.8m in a port which is subject to a large tidal range on the Bristol Channel.

Operating costs on the 10 hour service has been severely hampered by continuing increases to world oil prices. From the year 2010 to this year, fuel costs rose by 27% and almost 50% from the original budget of 2009. The company claims that each crossing amounts to €18,560 alone in fuel costs.

Fastnet Line to date has carried 150,000 customers, of which 75% have originated from the UK market, generating on average €350 per person (€40m approx) exclusive of fare and on-board spend. This crucial market is core to the success of the company's direct 'gateway' route to scenic south-west Ireland, with Swansea connected to the M4 motorway linking midland population centres and London. The operator claims a saving of 600km driving based on a round trip compared to using rival ferries running on routes to Rosslare from Pembroke Dock and Fishguard.

Since the reinstatement of the service in March 2010, after Swansea Cork Ferries pulled the Superferry (photo) off-service in 2006, the loss to tourism generated revenue on both sides of the Celtic Sea was estimated to be £25m per annum according to the Welsh Assembly and a similar figure recorded in the Cork and Kerry region.

The company also outlines the reduction in carbon emissions saved from operating the only direct service specifically connecting the regions of Glamorgan and Munster. Some 500,000 freight miles alone were saved in the Welsh region since the service started instead of using alternative route running from Pembrokeshire ports.