Two year reprieve for Valentia Car Ferry as repairs are planned

UPGRADE works are to be carried out on the Valentia Island Car Ferry which will extend the life of the ferry by up to two further years.

The works will provide temporary relief for a service that has been under threat as a new boat is now required. Despite significant pressure from local interests and political representatives, funding for the new boat has not been forthcoming to date but news that work is to be carried out to extend the life of the current boat – albeit for up to two years – will be very welcome.

The Valentia Island Car Ferry has operated since 1996 between Renard Point and Knightstown, having come from Holland.

The car ferry is absolutely vital to Valentia Island and the wider Iveragh area as it brings traffic off the main Ring of Kerry road between Cahersiveen and Waterville. In doing so it uniquely combines two vital tourist rings, namely that of the Ring of Kerry and the Skellig Ring route, a route incorporating Valentia, Portmagee, Ballinskelligs and Waterville, an 18km hub of the Star Wars trail in Ireland.

However, the ferry, built in 1963, is coming to the end of it’s lifespan and vital funds are needed as an injection to maintain the service in the years ahead. The management personnel of the ferry state that they are prepared to put €1 million towards the €2.8 million needed to fund a new boat and have been in the process of negotiating government funding to achieve such an ambition.

To date, no concrete promise of funding has been secured, but, on the advice of the Marine Survey Office, the ferry is to undergo upgrade repairs, which it is hoped will give it a reprieve to function as normal for the next two years.

On Sunday, February 4, the boat was transported to the Bere Island Boat Yard by the Atlantic Towage Company and is currently situated in dry dock there.

The vessel will remain there for three weeks and will commence the Valentia Summer season on April 1.

Photo by Domnick Walsh The Valentia Car Ferry is currently undergoing a three week repair to help extend the life of the vessel by a further two years.