Cork-Swansea ferry to resume in time for matches and races

THE Fastnet Line’s Cork-Swansea service will resume next week to cash in on the Six Nations’ clash between Ireland and Wales in Cardiff and the Cheltenham racing festival.

The MV Julia went into dry dock last January for normal maintenance and inspections to enable the vessel to acquire compliance certificates issued by the Department of Transport and its British counterpart.

Normally the vessel would spend three weeks in dry dock in Swansea while the compliance certificates were completed.

However, the fledgling company decided to leave the vessel in dry dock far longer than required to save money.

In the process it temporarily laid off 70 staff.

Conor Buckley, chairman of the co-operative which founded the ferry, said the decision to take an extended break was to preserve finances, especially during a quiet period and in the face of rising fuel costs.

Sailings will resume from Swansea next Wednesday, March 9 at 10.30pm and the company has posted special offers on its website for the Six Nations clash at the Millennium Stadium on March 12.

Special offers will also be available for racing fans travelling to Cheltenham for the March 15-18 festival.

The company will be celebrating its first birthday on March 10 and last year it exceeded all expectations by carrying more than 75,000 passengers.

“We’re hoping to hit the 100,000 mark this year. We’re hoping to make a decent start with both the rugby match and the Cheltenham festival attracting large numbers,” Mr Buckley said.

The Fastnet Line will provide buses to take rugby supporters from Swansea to Cardiff for the big match on Saturday week.

Foot passengers can board the buses at 9.30am and they have plenty of time to soak up the pre-match atmosphere before the game, which kicks off at 5pm.

Buses will again take supporters back after the match in plenty of time to check in for the departure of 11.50pm and the ferry will arrive back in Cork at noon on Sunday, March 13.