As Afloat previously reported, Irish Ferries has renamed one of its cruise-ferries, James Joyce, as Ireland celebrates this weekend, Bloomsday (16th June), honouring the legacy of the famous writer, reports Jehan Ashmore.
Among Joyce's works are the much-celebrated Ulysses novel (published 1922), set in Dublin on 16 June, 1904 (now known as Bloomsday), A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), and Finnegan’s Wake (1939).
The 2,080 passenger cruise ferry, James Joyce, boasts the largest capacity of any ferry on the Irish Sea, was previously the Oscar Wilde, which began its charter last year. It is currently on the Rosslare-Pembroke route, having replaced P&O’s chartered ropax Norbay, however, the newly renamed cruise ferry will, according to Irish Ferries, return to Dublin-Holyhead. In addition to serving on the Ireland-France connection of the Dublin-Cherbourg route in tandem with W.B. Yeats.
Bloomsday, celebrated annually on 16 June, is the day that the James Joyce novel Ulysses takes place, marks a commemoration and celebration of his life, and is celebrated globally with readings, performances, and festivals.
The James Joyce was originally launched as the Star of the Tallink Grupp, and appropriately in the context of its newly given name was built by the same shipbuilding group (Aker Finnyards) as the Ulysses, the ship it will partner with when sailing the Dublin-Holyhead route. As Afloat had highlighted, the Star was built at their yard in Helsinki, whereas Ulysses was built a different yard in Rauma, also in the Nordic nation.
When James Joyce returns to Dublin on routes to Wales and France, its replacement on the southern corridor route will be the Isle of Innisfree from the Dover-Calais link. Taking the place of this ferry on the Strait of Dover will be the latest Oscar Wilde, whose name appeared recently on the newly acquired Spirit of Britain, formerly of P&O, which is to return to the UK-France link but in Irish Ferries livery.
This will be the company’s third Oscar Wilde, as the first ship to bear the name which used to link Ireland and France.
Interestingly, when Oscar Wilde makes its Dover-Calais debut, the 'Spirit' class ship built by STX Europe (Rauma), coincidentally the successor of Aker Finnyards, will be competing with its twin, P&O's Spirit of France. In addition to the rivals' ‘Fusion’ class pair, the second of which entered service in March.
The operational changes to the Irish Ferries fleet are all expected to be completed within the month.
