A FERRY which was axed three years ago is set to make a comeback.
The new €7.8 million Finnish vessel which will sail the Swansea-Cork route made its Irish debut yesterday. The MV Julia – which is 28 years old but was recently the focus of a major refit – sailed from Wales on Thursday night berthing at Horgan’s Quay in Cork yesterday.
It will be redecorated before putting to sea for the Fastnet Line in March of next year.
West Cork Tourism began its campaign at the beginning of the year to raise €2.6 million to get the Swansea-Cork route back up and running. The Finnish Aktia Bank and its finance company, Atkia Yritysrahoitus Oy, also supported the acquisition of the Julia through the provision of a multi-million euro mortgage.
The ferry will begin service on the Cork-Swansea route in March and the company hopes to enjoy strong demand from both tourist and freight customers.
Fastnet Line believes that it will contribute greatly to the development and promotion of tourism in the region and could create up to 500 jobs.
The MV Juliawill carry more than 1,800 passengers with space for 400 cars and 30 large trucks.
Capt Michael McCarthy, commercial manager of the Port of Cork, who was involved in sourcing the new ferry, spoke yesterday of his delight at seeing the dream of a new service become a reality.
Additional funding of €2.5 million is now required to fund the working capital requirements of the business.
There are now opportunities to invest both in the Co-Op and in Fastnet Line.
The Co-Op will be arranging a series of roadshows in the region to brief members and prospective new members on its plans in the coming weeks.
The Swansea-Cork service was last sailed in 2006 and backers say that since then, the economies on both sides of the Irish Sea have suffered.