‘Dawn of new era’ as €7m Cork-Swansea ferry deal completed

AFTER months of negotiation, a co-operative has completed the €7.8 million deal for a car and passenger ferry that will reopen the Cork-Swansea route.

West Cork Tourism Co-Operative purchased the ferry last weekend, after finalising a deal with Finnish financial institutions for The Julia, which has a capacity for 1,860 passengers.

Conor Buckley, the co-operative chairman, said The Julia – which will operate under the Fastnet Line brand – will arrive in Cork in the coming weeks to proclaim the dawn of a new era for the south-west region.