The Swansea Cork ferry is a ferry route linking Swansea in Wales with Ringaskiddy in County Cork, Ireland operated by Fastnet Line. The service was previously operated by Swansea Cork Ferries Ltd between 1987 and 2006.
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From 1987 to 2006, the Swansea Cork ferry was operated by Swansea Cork Ferries Ltd., an Irish-based company. The ferry operated all year round. The ten-hour journey across the Celtic Sea was usually covered by an overnight sailing arriving in Ringaskiddy early in the morning, sailing back to Swansea during daytime in months July and August, and at nighttime the rest of the year. The service was operated by one passenger ferry which could accommodate cars, camper vans, and goods vehicles, and had on-board cabins.
The service ceased operating after the 2006 season. After disposing of their most recent vessel (the MV Superferry) and failing to find a suitable replacement, Swansea Cork Ferries Ltd announced that they would not be operating the service during the 2007 summer season. There was no service during 2008 or 2009 either.[1]
Thirty staff in Swansea, 45 in Ireland and 120 ship staff were laid off when the company ceased operations after 2006. Press reports show that the loss of the passenger ferry service dealt a blow to the economies of both South West Wales and the Cork area in Ireland. Since Swansea Cork Ferries started operating the ferry service in 1987, the company brought 2,850,000 passengers and 700,000 cars into Cork. Tourism sources in West Cork said that the ferry's loss resulted in a 30% drop in tourists coming into the region from Britain, particularly hitting hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and camping centres.[2] The loss cost Ireland's Cork and Kerry region an estimate £24.4m (€35 million) based on a study by University College Cork in 2007, with the west of Cork being particularly badly hit because its out-of-the-way pubs, restaurants and hotels not served by buses or trains relied heavily on car ferry users. In Swansea and South West Wales the hotel, pub, restaurant and B&B trade has been hit by the loss of Irish visitors—an influx that in 2006 brought £65m to the Welsh economy. The route was also heavily used by English and European tourists as a “relatively close to London” route to the Republic of Ireland, with many travellers stopping overnight in Swansea.[3]
Due to frustration with the ferry service not being reinstated, two local businessmen in West Cork started a campaign and website in April 2008 to highlight the impact of the continuing lack of the Ferry service, www.bringbacktheswanseacorkferry.com, later superseded by a new site at www.peoplesferry.com. The old site featured an online e-petition where people affected by the suspension of the ferry could make their views known, and the new site carries up-to-date, (reliable), news of the new ferry service, plus a history of the campaign.[4]
Following a year of campaigning, including work by some local politicians and other organisations including the bringbacktheswanseacorkferry campaign and West Cork Tourism, a passenger & freight ferry service will operate between Cork and Swansea from March 2010 run by a new company (Fastnet Line), financed by a 3 million euro co-op 'Pledge' system, a bank loan and other investment capital.[5][6]
After a long process of negotiation, including approval by the Finnish courts, it was announced in mid-September 2009 that the ship to run the new service, MS Julia, had been purchased for Fastnet Line.[7] She was built in 1982 and had previously served routes in the Scandinavian peninsula.[7] The Julia has 10 decks with a capacity for approximately 440 cars and 30 freight vehicles, and 1,860 passengers. Passenger facilities include 300 passenger cabins, a cinema, a children's play area, restaurants and bars.[7] MV Julia left Finland en-route for Cork on 17 September 2009, calling at the Port of Swansea for berthing trials along the way. She wintered in the Port of Cork before leaving in January 2010 for dry-docking, safety certification, and some minor modifications for compliance with Irish regulations in Swansea. The first voyage departed from Swansea to Ringaskiddy at 21:50 on Wednesday 10 March 2010.[8]
On 3 November 2011, it was announced all services would be cancelled until April 2012, due to 'higher than expected fuel prices'.[9]
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