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Irish Port and Shipping News
NATO Issue Guidelines to Prevent Piracy
A new set of guidelines to prevent the threat of pirates attacking shipping transiting the Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin and the Indian Ocean, has been launched recently on the NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) website. The products tanker Ardmore Seafarer…
Major Wind-Energy Hub Planned for Belfast Port
Belfast Harbour could potentially become one of the leading energy renewable hubs in the UK, when DONG Energy, a leading Danish energy firm, signed a letter of intent yesterday for an agreement to progress on a number of offshore wind…
Tanker Newbuilds for Cork-Based Global Operator
An order for two 51,000 dwt chemical products tankers from Ardmore Shipping, to a South Korean shipyard, are to be delivered next year and in 2013, writes Jehan Ashmore. The contract for the double-hulled newbuilds, classified to IMO 3 specifications, was…
‘Follow The Fleet’ Schools Essay Competition
The 2010/2011 'Follow The Fleet' Schools Essay Competition is open to all schools that are registered to take part in the Follow the Fleet project. Schools can register details by logging onto www.followthefleet.ie where a username and password will be provided.…
Foot-Passengers to Lose Liverpool Link
Foot-passengers will soon no longer have the choice in taking the ferry over to Merseyside, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Dublin-Liverpool (Birkenhead) route, operated by DFDS Seaways which is due to close on 31 January, is the only ferry operator that…
Volumes Increase at Drogheda Port
Cargo volumes through the port of Drogheda have increased by 4% in 2010 compared to 2009 levels, notably due to the importation of agri-products. The rise in traffic figures recorded by the Drogheda Port Company, provides some positive economic news.…
Car-Sales Boost Brings Busy Day to Dublin
Three large vessels from one company arrived into Dublin Port on Sunday, to include an inaugural call of the 49,166 tonnes M.V. Pauline from Zeebrugge, writes Jehan Ashmore. At 203-metres the Pauline built in 2006, made a special once-off sailing…
Ferry-Fallout as DFDS Exit Irish Sea
DFDS Seaways recent announcement to close its operations on the Irish Sea this month is a major blow considering the Danish company entered the Irish-UK ferry market only six-months ago, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Dublin-Birkenhead (Liverpool) and freight-only Dublin-Heysham service…
New Passenger-Only Ferry for Northern Ireland-Scotland Route
Plans to operate the first passenger-only ferry service between Northern Ireland and Scotland are scheduled to start in late May, writes Jehan Ashmore. Kintyre Express is to operate a Ballycastle-Campbeltown service on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 27 May and…
Ferry-Go-Round on the Irish Sea
At this quiet time of the year, vessels from Irish Sea ferry operators are taken off routes to undergo annual dry-docking, writes Jehan Ashmore. In the case of Irish Ferries, their Rosslare-Pembroke Dock route vessel, Isle of Inishmore arrived on…
Fastnet Line Cancel Tonight's Sailing
Operators of the Cork-Swansea route, Fastnet Line regret to announce that tonight's (13 January) sailing from Cork to Swansea is cancelled. The company has cited technical reasons for the cancellation of the sailing. The 10-hour route linking Munster with South…
International Maritime Regulators Qualify Irish Registered Ships as 'Low Risk' for First Time
The Minister for Transport Mr Noel Dempsey T.D today welcomed the confirmation from the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (PMoU), on port state control that Irish flagged ships can qualify for the first time as "low risk ships" under a new…
New Inspection Regime for Ships and Yachts in Europe, Russia, Canada
Yachts in Europe, Russia or Canada will face new marine safety inspections from 2011 following the implementation of the Paris MOU's New Inspection Regime (NIR), Sail World reports. http://www.sail-world.com/UK/Yachts-in-Europe:-new-marine-safety-inspections-from-Jan-2011/78723 Previously only 25% of ships and very few yachts were inspected…
Cape Clear Ferry Service Awarded
The ferry service contract for Cape Clear in Co. Cork has been awarded to the company, Thar Tonn Teo.  The 'Island Princess' will be used as the main vessel for the service from the middle of March 2011 onwards. The…
Stena Route To Close This Week
Only several days remain before Stena Line close the Larne-Fleetwood route. The 8-hour route was operated by a trio of sister-ships, until the Stena Leader was withdrawn last week in advance of the service which is due to end on 23 December.…
The Cork-Swansea route service has smashed 2010 targets with over 80,000 passengers using the service, which reopened in March according to a report on NewsWales.co.uk. The passenger figure represents four-times the capacity of the Liberty Stadium, Swansea which is to…