Irish Ferries - Further Information on Irish Ferries Ferry Services
All Irish Ferries vessels have a variety of quality restaurants, cafes and bars. There is also lots to do on board for entertainment with the cruise ferry Ulysses even having two cinemas showing current releases. The company also charters out two vessels, Pride of Bilbao and Kaitaki to P&O Ferries and Interisland Line, respectively.
The company was formed in 1973 as a joint venture between Irish Shipping, Fearnley & Eger and Swedish company Lion Ferry. Originally called Irish Continental Line, it first operated between Rosslare and Le Havre with the St. Patrick. When Irish Shipping went into liquidation in 1984, ICL was sold off in a management buyout and took on its current name.
In 1992, Irish Ferries took over the British and Irish Steampacket Company Limited, a nationalised company which traded under the name B & I Line and operated ferry services between Dublin and Holyhead as well as Liverpool and Dublin.
Irish Ferries took delivery of the 1989-built MS Kronprins Harald from the Norwegian shipping company Color Line in September 2007. The ship was renamed MS Oscar Wilde and is currently in operation between Rosslare Europort - Cherbourg and Roscoff. She entered service in December 2007 on the Dublin - Holyhead line, then the Rosslare - Pembroke Dock and finally to her selected route, Rosslare - Cherbourg and Roscoff. Instead of receiving the traditional white hull of Irish Ferries, the ship maintained the blue hull of Color Line.
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Irish Ferries Fleet - Past and Present
The company's flagship, the Ulysses, is the world's largest car ferry in terms of car-carrying capacity. Other ships in the fleet include the Isle of Inishmore, Oscar Wilde and the fast ferry Jonathan Swift (aka Dublin Swift). All of their ferries are modern vessels with recent updates meaning that Irish Ferries have one of the most modern fleets afloat. Irish Ferries latest addition to the fleet, the Oscar Wilde cruise ferry, entered service between Rosslare and Cherbourg in 2007. The ‘Oscar Wilde’ has made the journey between France and Ireland one of the most luxurious and entertaining ferry transfers in the world.
Irish Ferries M/F Ulysses
M/F Ulysses is a RORO car ferry currently owned and operated by Irish Ferries on the Dublin, Ireland — Holyhead, Wales route. When built she was the largest vehicle ferry in the world in terms of vehicle capacity, Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica of Stena Line are now of equal vehicle capacity after being enlarged in early 2007. (P&O Ferries sister ships Pride of Hull and Pride of Rotterdam remain the largest ferries operating from the British Isles in terms of tonnage.) Construction of Ulysses was completed in 2001 at an Aker Finnyards shipyard in Rauma, Finland. The naming ceremony was undertaken by swimmer Mairéad Berry.
Irish Ferries MS Oscar Wilde
MS Oscar Wilde is currently in service on Irish Ferries' Rosslare — Cherbourg and Rosslare — Roscoff routes. The ship was built in Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard, Finland for Jahre Line as MS Kronprins Harald. In 1991 she passed under ownership of Color Line, for whom she sailed until sold to Irish Ferries in 2007.
Irish Ferries MS Isle of Inishmore
Irish Ferries oldest vessel entered service in 1997 but still offers fantastic facilities and comfort between the ports of Rosslare and Pembroke.
Irish Ferries HSC Jonathan Swift
One of Irish Ferries 'fast ferries' HSC Jonathan Swift entered service in 1999 and operates between Dublin and Holyhead.
Irish Ferries MV Kaitaki
MV Kaitaki is a "ROPAX" passenger and vehicle ferry built in 1995. She has previously operated under the names, Isle of Innisfree, then Pride of Cherbourg (III), Stena Challenger and Challenger. As of 2008, MV Kaitaki is the largest ferry providing the Interislander service between the North and South Islands of New Zealand having taken her latest name in 2007.
Irish Ferries MV Olympia
Olympia was built by the Wärtsilä Shipyard in Turku, Finland, for Rederi AB Slite. The ship was launched on 26 April, 1986 under the name Olympia, and operated between Stockholm and Helsinki for Viking Line. Olympia was built as a sister ship to MS Mariella. In 1993 Rederi AB Slite suffered financial problems and was forced to declare bankruptcy. Olympia was sold to Irish Continental Group and chartered to P&O European Ferries who renamed her the Pride of Bilbao.
Irish Ferries - Related and Alternative Ferry Companies
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