Owner of Irish Ferries Sees ICG Shares Surge 26% after €1.2bn Management Buyout Agreed

28th July 2026

Jehan Ashmore

The Dublin-listed Irish Continental Group saw its London shares surge more than 26% on Monday, after ICG agreed to a €1.2b management buyout on Friday that would take it private. Above W. B. Yeats heads out of Dublin Bay bound for France. Credit: Jehan Ashmore

Irish Ferries, a division of its owner Irish Continental Group, saw its London shares surge more than 26% on Monday.

The increase is after the Dublin-listed maritime transport group agreed to a €1.2 billion management buyout on Friday that would take it into private ownership.

The buyout offer has been unanimously recommended by ICG's independent board, which will pay shareholders €8 a share, which is a 28.2% premium on the stock's closing price last Friday. This led to ICG shares jumping past the offer price on Monday, gaining up to 30% to reach €8.10 per share.

The ICG divisions include Irish Ferries running routes between Ireland and Wales and England and France (Dover to Calais) and directly connecting Ireland with France. The ferry fleet is made up of five cruise ferries, a ro-pax, and a high-speed craft.

The parent company also has the EUCON container brand, linking Irish ports serving Belgium and the Netherlands, which is run by 12 container ships. As well as operating Dublin Ferryport Terminal (DFT) adjacent to the ferry terminal, Belfast Container Terminal (BCT) operates the sole container terminal at Victoria Terminal 3 (VT3).

More from the Irish Examiner on the development.

Published in Irish Ferries

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About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals.

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