Irish Ferries

Irish Continental Line was formed in 1973 as a joint venture between Irish Shipping, Fearnley & Eger and Swedish company Lion Ferry.{{cite book | last=Smith | first=P.C. | title=Offshore Ferry Services of England and Scotland: A Useful Guide to the Shipping Lines and Routes | publisher=Pen & Sword Books Limited | year=2012 | isbn=978-1-84884-665-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VM-XAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA84 | access-date=September 18, 2018 | page=84}} It originally operated on the Rosslare–Le Havre route with the 547 berth, 210 car ferry Saint Patrick.{{cite web|title=Irish Ferries|url=http://www.irish-ferries-enthusiasts.com/irish-ferries|publisher=Irish Ferries Enthusiasts Group|access-date=2012-11-16}} When Irish Shipping went into liquidation in 1984, Irish Continental Line was sold off in a management buyout and emerged as Irish Continental Group.

In 1992, ICG took over the British and Irish Steam Packet Company Limited, a nationalised company which traded under the name B&I Line and operated ferry services between Dublin and Holyhead and between Rosslare and Pembroke Dock.

In 2005, Irish Ferries replaced all its workers with foreign agency labour that was cheaper than that of its rivals, such as P&O Ferries, Stena Line and DFDS, thereby undercutting their prices. Its competitive practice, as well as the use of security personnel to carry out the replacement of its crewmembers, were described by many in the industry as a "blueprint" for P&O's 2022 sacking of hundreds of its seafarers.{{cite news |last1=Armitage |first1=Jim |last2=Arlidge |first2=John |last3=Hellen |first3=Nicholas |last4=Al-Othman |first4=Hannah |title=Bungs, handcuffs and foreign job ads: inside story of the P&O sackings |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/bungs-handcuffs-and-foreign-job-ads-inside-story-of-the-p-o-sackings-cml3x5sfx |work=The Times |date=19 March 2022 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Topham |first1=Gwyn |title=P&O Ferries is not the first in UK waters to hire low-cost workers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/mar/30/p-and-o-ferries-not-first-uk-waters-hire-low-cost-workers |access-date=1 April 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=30 March 2022}}

As part of its offer to buy B&I Line, management at ICG undertook to invest in replacing what was an ageing fleet. Over the following decade, a programme of fleet renewal was undertaken involving investment of €500 million to create what was described as the most modern ferry fleet in western Europe.

New vessels were built such as Ulysses, Isle of Innisfree (now on charter in New Zealand as Kaitaki), Isle of Inishmore and a fast ferry Jonathan Swift, all for service on its Ireland–UK routes. As a result, the company put itself in a position to attract increased passenger and freight business, influenced by the modern facilities and improved reliability of each vessel and the extra capacity that was available on board.

On 31 May 2016, ICG announced that it had entered into an agreement with the German company Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft to build a cruise ferry {{MV|W.B. Yeats}} at a contract price of €144 million. The new cruise ferry can accommodate 1,880 passengers and crew, with 435 cabins and with capacity for 2,800 lane metres of freight (165 freight vehicles) plus an additional dedicated car deck with capacity for 300 passenger cars.{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Ciara |date=1 June 2016 |title=Irish Continental Group to spend €144m building cruise ferry |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/2016/0601/Pg024.html#Ar02403 |url-access=subscription |work=Irish Times |location=Dublin |access-date=4 October 2017 }} Summer 2018 bookings for the new ferry were cancelled due to delays in its delivery from the shipyard.{{cite web |last1=Ó Conghaile |first1=Pól |title=Irish Ferries cancels all summer sailings on new WB Yeats ferry |url=https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/irish-ferries-cancels-all-summer-sailings-on-new-wb-yeats-ferry-37002317.html |website=Irish Independent |date=12 June 2018 |access-date=12 June 2018 |language=en}}

In March 2021, Irish Ferries in a surprise announcement revealed that they were opening a new route between Dover and Calais, due to start in June, later revealed to be June 29th.{{Cite web|url= https://www.niferry.co.uk/irish-ferries-to-enter-competitive-cross-channel-market/|title=Irish Ferries To Enter Competitive Cross-Channel Market|publisher=NI Ferry Site|date=26 November 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.niferry.co.uk/irish-ferries-services-between-dover-and-calais-begin/|title=Irish Ferries services between Dover and Calais begin|publisher=NI Ferry Site|date=26 November 2021}} This is the first such route that Irish Ferries operates which does not call in Ireland, with Dover and Calais being two major UK and French ports respectively. The service began with the {{MS|Isle of Inishmore|1996}} operating between the two ports, with two more ships due to enter service – the MS Isle of Innisfree (1991, ex-Calais Seaways) in December 2021, and {{MS|Isle of Inisheer}} (ex- "Ciudad de Mahón) in April 2022.

In 2001, the newly completed vessel Ulysses was awarded the title 'Most Significant Newbuild – Ferry' by Lloyds List Cruise & Ferry.‘Irish Ferries – An Ambitious Voyage’ by Miles Cowsill and Justin Merrigan In 2019, the latest addition to its fleet, W.B. Yeats was awarded the 'Ferry Concept Award' and the 'Interior Architecture Award' at the international Shippax Industry Awards.{{Cite web |url=https://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/news-listing/w.b.-yeats-named-ferry-of-the-year-2019/ |title=W.B. Yeats named Ferry Of The Year 2019 |date=22 April 2019 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Irish Ferries}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/news-listing/w.b.-yeats-wins-international-shipping-awards/ |title=W.B. Yeats Wins International Shipping Awards |date=14 March 2019 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Irish Ferries}}

In 2005, Irish Ferries began to re-register its fleet under flags of convenience,{{cite news|title=Flying the flag of greed|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/flying-the-flag-of-greed-1.498856|publisher=The Irish Times|date=29 September 2005|access-date=19 February 2018}}{{cite web|title=Irish Ferries flies flag of convenience|url=http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/4787|website=Sinn Fein|date=15 July 2005|access-date=19 February 2018}} enabling the company to save approximately €11.5 million{{cite news|title=Irish Ferries dispute finally resolved after bitter stand-off|url=https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/observatories/eurwork/articles/irish-ferries-dispute-finally-resolved-after-bitter-stand-off|access-date=19 February 2018|agency=EurWORK|date=20 December 2005}} by replacing crew with agency staff. As of February 2018, all vessels owned by Irish Ferries or Irish Continental Group are registered in either the Bahamas or Cyprus.

{{dynamic list}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book|last1=Cowsill|first1=Miles|last2=Merrigan|first2=Justin|title=Irish Ferries: An Ambitious Voyage|date=2013|publisher=Ferry Publications|location=Ramsey, Isle of Man|isbn=9781906608606}}

{{Refend}}

{{Commons category|Irish Ferries}}

• [http://www.icg.ie Irish Continental Group (corporate)]
• [http://www.irishferries.com Irish Ferries (consumer)]
• [http://www.irish-ferries-enthusiasts.com (Irish ferries enthusiasts site)]

{{FerriesIrishSea}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Ferry companies of the Republic of Ireland

Category:Ferry companies of Wales

Category:Companies based in Dublin (city)

Category:Irish companies established in 1973

Category:Transport companies established in 1973