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Displaying items by tag: Passenger service

Rosslare Europort user DFDS is to trail a new passenger ferry service on their existing freight route to Dunkirk, which began sailings early last year between Ireland and France. The inaugural passenger sailing is to take place this Friday, 5 August. 

For the first time, DFDS will offer tourists a direct link between South-East Ireland and Northern France (see Irish minister opens terminal). The new service will be focussed on car and motorhome traffic at launch, with limited capacity to complement our freight traffic.

Chris Parker, route director, said: "We launched a freight service between Rosslare and Dunkirk in January 2021, and it has proved extremely popular with customers looking to move goods between Ireland and continental Europe without the need to use the land-bridge via the UK. Adding passenger services to the route will further strengthen the service, and we expect strong demand from holidaymakers in Ireland and Northern Europe. Rosslare is at the heart of the 'sunny southeast' and a short drive from Dublin and Cork, making it a popular destination. Irish customers will benefit from a direct link into the heart of Europe."

Crossings on the route will take 24 hours, with the overnight sailings allowing customers to relax and recharge before driving on to their holiday destination. Against a looming summer of disruption at airports, the launch of the new route offers a stress-free alternative for holidaymakers looking to get away. No luggage restrictions apply when you take your car to Europe by ferry.

There will be up to five sailings per week from Rosslare to Dunkirk, and prices for a car and four passengers with a standard cabin onboard will start from €550, with all meals included.

As Afloat reported last week, DFDS has acquired an Irish haulier to compliment and expand the ferry's firm's logistic operations, though the acquisition is subject to regulatory competition clearance. 

Published in Rosslare Europort

Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!