#FerryIsles – Two ferries one serving on the Irish Sea, the other running a link to a Scottish island, were until yesterday undergoing refit together at Cammell Laird shiprepair facility in Birkenhead, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Isle of Inishmore (1997/34,031grt) Irish Ferries Rosslare-Pembroke Dock ferry departed Merseyside following her annual maintenance in dry-dock No. 5. She returned to the Pembrokeshire link displacing Oscar Wilde, the French routes cruiseferry which is heading for A&P Falmouth drydock for work to prepare her prior to launching the season later this month.

Meanwhile, Isle of Lewis (1995/6,753grt) Caledonian MacBrayne's Ullapool-Stornoway route ferry is also receiving refit in Birkenhead dry dock No. 6. The Outer Hebrides route vessel is to be replaced by a newbuild which is currently under construction at FGS shipyard in Flensberg, Germany.

Irish Ferries fast-craft Jonathan Swift is also a recent caller to the Wirral Peninsula dockyard having followed flagship Ulysses which had taken her turn for overhaul too.