Irish Ferries sign 10-year deal with Port of Pembroke

DESPITE reported discussions between the ferry operators, it seems that Irish Ferries and Stena Line will continue to sail to different Welsh ports from Rosslare after it emerged that the former has signed a new ten-year deal with the port of Pembroke.

It had been reported that both ferry operators were in discussions over potentially sailing into the same UK port and alternating sailings, thus offering the customer greater frequency. This was something that was encouraged by General Manager of Rosslare Europort Glenn Carr who said that frequency of ferries from Wales to Ireland had become an issue for hauliers in particular.

With Stena Line owning the port of Fishguard, it was always going to be unlikely that they would abandon it and so discussions apparently surrounded Irish Ferries’ willingness to sail into Fishguard in a similar type of arrangement to that which both operators enjoy in Holyhead.

These discussions seem to have come to nothing, however, as it was revealed that Irish Ferries had signed a new deal with the Port of Milford Haven for berthing rights at Pembroke.

In recent weeks, political figures in Westminster had suggested that, as a result of Brexit, Pembrokeshire could only support a single port linking to Ireland.

Commercial Director at the Port of Milford Haven Steve Edwards said: ‘We pride ourselves in providing a safe and efficient service to Irish Ferries and are pleased to confirm that we have renewed our partnership with them.

‘The Pembroke Dock to Rosslare route is the primary south Wales freight corridor and we will continue to work with Irish Ferries to maintain this important ferry service, recognising the contribution it makes in terms of jobs, tourism and culture.’