New £2m ferry is officially launched

July 1995

A NEW £2m ferry, which will transport over 100,0100 cars between Tarbert and Killimer was officially launched at the weekend by Junior Agriculture Minister Jimmy Deenihan.

Called ‘The Shannon/Dolphin’ the new model will replace one of the two existing Tarbert to Killimer vessels and it marks a £2m investment in, the area by the directors of Shannon Ferry Limited.

The company was founded following an alliance of entrepreneurial pioneers from both sides of the Shannon including Jack McKenna, Dick Nash and Dick Pierse from North Kerry.

The Ferry Company has a close working relationship with Kerry County Council which assisted it in this new project by providing funds along with the ESB so the causeway at the entrance to Tarbert Island could be widened.

In officially opening the ferry, Minister Deenihan pointed out that the new ferry would employ an extra six people bringing the total workforce to over 30 people at peak times.

“The Tarbert/Killimer Ferry has been the main instrument in tourism development in the mid-west region. From the period April to September, the ferry transports over 100,000 cars and over 3,000 coaches,” he said.

“This coach traffic has beendoubling each year. This probably represents close on half a million people each year being attracted to the area,” he continued.

He praised the ferry company for its consistent and high standard of safety and dependability of service, with a “98.6pc” dependability record. Only fog has managed to disrupt crossings,. further underlying the stringent safety standards applied by the management, he said.

The Minister appealed to Shannon Development and Bord Fáilte to promote a joint marketing plan in conjunction with the County Councils in order to capitalise fully on the obvious strategic advantage of the ferry.

Tarbert Fire Station committee members pictured outside their new fire station under construction. Standing from left: John McGinley, Gerald Dillane, Sean Reidy, Michael Lanigan, Michael Kelly, Patsy O’Connell, Jerry O’Connell, Tom O’Donnell, Patrick Patwell and Thomas O’Connell.