Founder of Cork-Swansea ferry co-op steps down

THE founder of a co-operative which reinstated the Cork-Swansea ferry link has resigned from the group, due to pressure of work.

Conor Buckley, who was chairman of West Cork Tourism Co-operative for the last three years, said he wanted to devote his energies to the Fastnet Line and simply couldn’t continue to serve two masters.

The 39-year-old married father of five said he would remain as chairman of the Fastnet Line, but had resigned from the cooperative because of his workload.

A former winner of the Cork Person of the Year award, Mr Buckley is credited with spearheading the drive to restore the ferry connection.

He spent many exhausting months trying to acquire funding to purchase the Finnish-owned vessel, the MV Julia, which now plies the route.

Mr Buckley said 2011 was likely to be a pivotal year for the Fastnet Line and he wanted to stay as chairman.

It is widely believed by maritime industry experts that the company will either sink or swim this year.

However, it received good news this week when Enterprise Ireland decided to give the company a €500,000 shot-in-the-arm and Cork Co Council voted to provide it with a further €100,000 in capital working funds.

Cork City Council is expected to match the county council’s input, while Kerry Co Council has already sanctioned a €50,000 cash injection.

Mr Buckley has passed over the reins of the co-operative to Noel Murphy, who has sat on the tourism committee for a number of years.

Mr Murphy runs the Olde Bakery, a very successful restaurant in Castletownbere. “All my energies will now go into focusing on the Fastnet Line. But myself and Noel will continue to work very closely together to develop tourism in the region,” Mr Buckley said.