Dublin Swift, Irish Ferries catamaran, has been docked in the Irish Sea port of Barrow-in-Furness, England, for over five days, reports the North West Evening Mail.
The Dublin-Holyhead serving Dublin Swift, usually ferrying vehicles and passengers between Wales and the Irish capital, has been in the Cumbrian port since 3rd October.
Afloat adds that the Dublin Swift departed its namesake capital on that day, having completed this year’s ‘season’ of fast-ferry service on the 30th September. Initially the craft vacated Dublin Ferryport to temporarily occupy Alexandra Basin before exiting the port for England.
The fast-ferry has since Spring carried out crossings in conjunction with conventional ferries, Ulysses and James Joyce that operate the Ireland-Wales route throughout the year.
Since the high-speed craft’s arrival in Barrow, operated by Associated British Ports (ABP), it has been photographed by many residents.
The 101m catamaran of the Austal-Auto Express series was built in 2001 by Austal Ships, Fremantle, Western Australia. It was bought by Irish Ferries parent company, the Irish Continental Group (ICG) in 2016.
Dublin based ICG did not offer a comment to The Mail when approached as to why the fast-ferry was in Barrow. The ferry operator’s website states that the Dublin Swift's schedule has finished for 2024.
Sharing the quay at Barrow is the trainee square-rigger Pelican of London which as Afloat reported in the summer also sailed across the Irish Sea but from Dun Laoghaire Harbour where it has been an occasional caller this year.
