#DublinCherbourg - Irish Ferries ro-pax Cartour Epsilon, returned to Dublin-Holyhead route duties today and this weekend she launches a new direct route from the capital to France, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Starting this Saturday, the once-weekly, year-round Dublin-Cherbourg operated route will connect the capital and the continent when the 500 passenger plus crew capacity car-ferry runs a weekend round-trip service to France in between serving weekday sailings to Wales.

Cartour Epsilon will be offering a low-fares economy-style service distinctly different from that operated by their Rosslare-French routes cruise ferry Oscar Wilde.

The new route sailing schedule will see departures from Dublin every Saturday (15.30) arriving into Cherbourg next morning (11.30). Return sailings will depart Cherbourg each Sunday (17.00) with early arrival back in Dublin on Monday morning (11.00).

Irish Ferries new route follows in the wake of another new service also running to France as LD Lines last week launched a 'landbridge' service to Spain from Rosslare to St. Nazaire with an onward connection to Gijón.

As previously reported, Cartour Epsilon had recently served sailings from Rosslare on Irish Ferries established service to Cherbourg during late December / early New Year period. Her absence leaves no ferry servicing the route until late February.

Although with the launch of the new Dublin-Cherbourg route, Irish Ferries will be able to maintain a service to France.

Following current duties on the Rosslare-Pembroke Dock route, Oscar Wilde is to take her turn of annual dry-docking in advance of resuming Rosslare-Cherbourg service next month as mentioned above.