Who owns irish ferries

The company has also announced a new service on the Dover — Calais route. Business Newsletter Read the leading stories from the world of business.

Dr Tony Holohan: We're socialising at a level we can't sustain. Frightening images show boy jumping between storey apartment blocks. The Ferries Division operates multipurpose ferry services carrying both passengers and RoRo freight on strategic short sea routes between Ireland and the United Kingdom and direct ferry services between Ireland and France.

The division also engages in chartering activities. The ferry services trades under the Irish Ferries brand operating three routes utilising a fleet of five vessels, four of which are owned and one which is chartered-in. Operating modern vessels, we carry passengers together with accompanying cars, coaches and other passenger vehicles on up to 17 sailings per day. Crossing times between Ireland and Wales on our cruise ferries varies between 3 hours and 15 minutes and 4 hours, while on our high speed craft Dublin Swift the voyage time is just 2 hours 15 minutes.

Our vessels offer high levels of on-board comfort, with spacious public lounges and quality catering services. The premium Club Class lounges provide magnificent sea views and complimentary drinks, snacks and newspapers with guests offered priority boarding.

Our overnight service between Dublin and Cherbourg France is served in the Summer season by the latest addition to our fleet the cruise ferry W. In a subsidiary company, Ferrytours, was established to promote holidays to France. A new Belfast-Liverpool service was launched on May 1 st , The St Patrick was renamed the St. Colum 1 and a new company, Belfast Car Ferries was formed. The new service looked promising, however faceing competition from other routes the service was close down in October with the ship being sold to Greek owners.

Meanwhile, back in the south, there was another event. The works, which took just 3 months to complete, increased the number of berths from to 1, and garage spaces from 20 to The ship was renamed St Killian II and returned to service.

To replace the St. She was refitted in Amsterdam and renamed the St. Patrick II. In , a third summer service was started between Cork and Le Harve, with sailings from the end of June to the end of August. The route proved popular with Irish as well as Continental holidaymakers who wished to arrive closer to Cork and Kerry.

With year on year improvements in traffic and revenues, dark storms were brewing. In and a series of charter deals for Irish Shipping vessels was arranged in Hong Kong, commitments that were considered financially ruinous for the company. Irish Shipping was trading against a dismal world economic background, which made freight carrying an unprofitable proposition. When the then Government decided to put Irish Shipping into liquidation towards the end of , there was a public outcry with calls that Ireland was being deprived of a strategically important deep sea fleet, one that had proved its worth for over 40 years, in conditions of war and peace.

Despite these calls, the Government proceeded with the liquidation of Irish Shipping, which became effective in November For two and a half years, Irish Continental Line carried on in a state of uncertainty, an interregnum between ownership. In Christmas, advertisements appeared in the national press inviting purchase offers. In all, there were 24 potential bidders, including a consortium of freight companies.

During the course of two bids materialized from groups within the management of Irish Continental Line itself. In November sole ownership of the two Irish Continental Line vessels was acquired, a move which cleared the way for the completion of the sale which took place in March when a consortium of institutional investors was successful in its bid for the company. Under new ownership, a big revamp began; Irish Ferries and Belfast Ferries were the new operating divisions.

The Board of Directors was restructured, a new Managing Director was recruited, and steps were taken to revitalise the company. The company said that while recent freight business remained robust in light of certain industries being shut down, the loss of peak-season travel hit passenger numbers. See a sample. Please update your payment details to keep enjoying your Irish Times subscription. Barry O'Halloran. Common Travel Area The company pointed out that the Common Travel Area, which allows free movement of people between Ireland and Britain, was a major benefit to tourism.

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