Displaying items by tag: Newbuild Cruiseferry

10th April 2017

ICG Cuts First Steel for Irish Ferries New €144m Cruiseferry in German Yard

#ICGnewbuild - Senior management of Irish Continental Group (ICG),parent company of Irish Ferries, visited the German shipyard of Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesselschaft & Co.KG that is to build a new €144m cruiseferry.

It is almost a year to when ICG announced the contract for the 50,000 gross tonnage cruiseferry to the FSG yard.

Eamonn Rothwell, Chief Executive of ICG accompanied by Andrew Sheen, Managing Director of Irish Ferries on Friday visited the FSG yard in Flensburg to oversee the cutting of the first steel plate for use in the construction of their cruise ferry. The newbuild is scheduled for delivery in mid 2018.

Commenting at the ceremony Mr Rothwell said "This first steel cutting is more than symbolic and starts the practical construction of our new build. This investment underpins the confidence the Group has in both the freight and passenger tourism markets between Ireland, Britain and France”.

When in service, the cruiseferry will accommodate 1,885 passengers and crew, with 435 cabins and with capacity for 2,800 lane metres of freight (165 freight vehicles). An additional dedicated car deck with also provide capacity for 300 passenger cars.

Published in Ferry

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.