#Ports & Shipping Review – Over the last fortnight, Jehan Ashmore has reported on the shipping scene, where French route cruiseferry Oscar Wilde had to cancel a round-trip to Rosslare Harbour due to a technical fault of a radar, which was eventually repaired leading to resumption of service.

Port of Cork will this season have 54 cruise ships which despite the number of calls is slightly lower than 2013, however cruise vessels visiting in 2014 are larger and have higher passenger volumes.

The natural harbour is also where Brittany Ferries flagship cruiseferry Pont-Aven is operating on her 10th season on the Roscoff route.

Seatruck Ferries introduced a larger P-class freight-ferry on Dublin-Heysham route, the 110-ro-ro unit Seatruck Pace replaced R-class 65-unit vessel Arrow which subsequently went on charter.

This month traditionally marks the opening of the cruise season with ports around the island welcoming callers, Port of Waterford saw Noble Caledonia's Island Sky, which is on a Garden themed cruise that involved docking along the city's quays.

Galway Harbour which is to have one of the busiest cruise seasons in recent years  with polar expedition cruise ship Fram having anchored offshore. Further northwards in the Port of Londonderry, the same Norwegian-flagged vessel operated by Hurtigruten, also became the first visitor to the Lough Foyle port.

As for Dublin Bay ports, two cruiseships one large the other small each made separate calls to Dublin Port and Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Princess Cruises 3,082 passenger capacity Emerald Princess (2007/118,681grt) docked in the capital on the day of  'casting of the spear' ceremony. While Island Sky (1992/4,200grt) berthed in Dun Laoghaire.

The Naval Service's newest ship, L.E. Samuel Beckett (P61) the first of a pair of OPV 90m class newbuilds, made her delivery voyage from a North Devon shipyard to Cork Harbour for the first time, the historic occasion marking a momentous chapter for the navy.

Another development in the lower harbour is the Port of Cork Company's planning application to An Bord Pleanála for the Ringaskiddy Port Redevelopment project which neighbours the naval base on Haulbowline Island.