Tourists ‘all at sea’ over phantom ferry
Outdated maps show a car ferry service across Dingle Bay. The service from Caherciveen to Dingle has not been in operation for many years.
Local man Brendan Murphy said up to 20 tourists of all nationalities come to Caherciveen pier each year seeking the ferry. Many were disappointed on being told the service had been discontinued.
German visitor Henning Wivers yesterday complained to Radio Kerry: “It might be a good idea for someone to update the maps.”
But a Tourism Ireland spokeswoman told the Irish Examiner its Frankfurt office had already written to a German publishing firm, Reise Know-How, drawing its attention to the matter and advising the company to check and update its publications/maps on Ireland.
Mr Wivers, on a cycling holiday in Ireland, yesterday told how he intended catching a ferry to Dingle, only to be informed, on arriving at the pier in Caherciveen, there had not been such a service for 10 to 15 years.
It emerged some German-produced maps show a “red-dotted” ferry route across Dingle Bay between the towns.
Mr Wivers told the radio station he intended reducing his journey time to Dingle by taking the non-existent ferry, but ended up with a tough cycle of more than 100km to Dingle.
While stressing he was enjoying his two-week holiday, he said Irish roads were dangerous for cyclists due to a lack of cycle lanes. He also claimed motorists were also driving too fast on narrow, twisting, roads.
“Friends in Germany told me not to cycle in Ireland because it is too dangerous,” he said.
Confusion about the phantom ferry is also reflected in postings on tourist websites.
“What’s up with a Google Map showing a boat/ferry service line from Dingle to Caherciveen? Does that actually exist?” asked one on traveladvisor.ie.
Another posting said: “I have seen some portals suggest a ferry from D to C but have never seen or heard of one for real.”
*The 13.5km Tralee bypass will be opened on Friday at 12.30pm by Jimmy Deenihan, the arts, heritage, and Gaeltacht minister, in time for the Rose of Tralee festival.
The €97m bypass — expected to cut journey times by up to 10 minutes through Tralee and ease traffic congestion in the town centre — intersects routes leading from Tralee to Killorglin, Killarney, and Listowel.
The long-awaited bypass had initially been due for completion earlier in the year, but delays were caused by bad weather and the discovery of limestone deposits on the planned route.
