#TERMINAL CHANGES - Motorists check-in area at the Dun Laoghaire Harbour ferry terminal, is currently a free car-parking facility with donations going to Barnardos, however Stena Line's HSS fast-craft service to Holyhead is to resume next week, albeit only for the festive season, reports Jehan Ashmore.

The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company in association with Barnardos, has set aside the terminal for free-car parking which is available to next Sunday 16th December. Cars can park Monday to Wednesday (11am - 7pm) and Thursday to Sunday (12noon -8pm). The initiative not only supports a worthy cause but is to encourage customers to shop in Dun Laoghaire in the run-up to Christmas.

As for the HSS Stena Explorer, she reopens the route next Thursday 20th December, though only operating on 12 'selected' days over Christmas and early into the New Year, for sailing dates click HERE.

Also located at the ferry terminal (plaza) will be the Ice Kingdom Slides which opens tomorrow in addition on Marine Road /The Metals is the launch of the Dun Laoghaire Christmas Festival's Chalet Market plus life-size crib featuring 'live' animals outside St. Michael's Church. Also watch out for Firework Displays (on various dates) for details visit: www.dunlaoghaire.ie/christmas-festival/

The reduction in ferry operations in recent years has seen changes with the main ferry terminal entrance as previously reported on Afloat.ie transformed last September into the Shackleton Endurance Exhibition: 'Triumph against all odds'. The exhibition with the support of the harbour's 'masterplan', tells a survival story like no other of the Irish-born explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and the Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-1917.

On display are more than 150 striking black and white photographs taken by photographer Frank Hurley and an exact replica of the James Caird; the lifeboat that proved so critical to the rescue. The exhibition also sales a range of related merchandise and other nautical-like items in its gift-shop.