#FerryWickow - A newly renamed car ferry Frazer Aisling Gabrielle called to Wicklow Port prior to the opening of the new Scenic Carlingford Ferry that is scheduled to begin operations early next month, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 44 car capacity Frazer Aisling Gabrielle had arrived to Wicklow yesterday evening after a passage of around 10 hours from Waterford Estuary. The car ferry having received work at New Ross Boat Yard in preparation for the new service linking Greenore, Co. Louth and Greencastle in Co. Down.

The work carried out at the inland yard downriver from the Port of New Ross involved a new livery applied to the ferry formerly named Foyle Venture. Under that guise this ferry has previously called to Wicklow Port.  As such the presence of the car ferry was less of a surprise in Wicklow unlike newbuild Spirit of Rathlin that made a unique call to Greystones in February of this year.

Frazer Ailsing Gabrielle which can accommodate 300 passengers had berthed at Wicklow's East Pier from where a crew rest took place overnight.  An inshore fishing boat, Bernice set off from the North Quay this morning to transfer a pilot on board the carferry. Following that the vessel departed in classy calm seas for the final leg of the voyage bound for Greenore. 

The ferry project on Carlingford Lough cost €9.75 million (£8.5 million) was entirely privately financed and developed by the Frazer Ferries Group. They acquired last year the Passage East Ferry Company that operates on the Waterford Estuary route served by F.B.D. Tintern.

The former Lough Foyle ferry however provided relief duties to allow the smaller car ferry that plies between Passage East and Ballyhack to undergo annual maintenance at the facility in New Ross. 

#NewRoute - A ferry service which has been long awaited between Greenore and Greencastle, linking both sides of Carlingford Lough, will launch early this summer, writes the Argus.

'Construction work has commenced and we're planning to have the ferry service operational by the early part of the summer,' said Paul O'Sullivan of Carlingford Lough Ferries.

The project, which is estimated to have the potential to create 300 jobs directly and indirectly, was first mooted a decade ago but faced numerous delays due to objections, particularly on the northern side.

'It has taken eight or nine years to get to this point in time but we had two jurisdictions to deal with, so we had to double up on everything - planning applications, marine licences, environmental studies, as well as dealing with two sets of statutory bodies,' said Mr O'Sullivan.

To read more the newspaper has a report here.