This site is the only website dedicated to bringing back the Swansea Cork Ferry - a freight & passenger ferry that until recently linked Swansea (Wales) and Cork (Ireland), and carried not only essential freight, but also thousands of holidaymakers visiting the southern counties of Ireland.
Answers to your questions... - June 2009
There’s been a tremendous amount of understanding and support since the Co-op announced the start-date of St David’s Day (March 1st) 2010 for the new ferry service. Quite a few of you have asked us the same questions about the situation - so we’ve updated our FAQ to provide you with the answers.
News from the West Cork Tourism Co-op - 5th May 2009
After careful consideration, the Board of the Co-op has today decided that the Cork-Swansea ferry service should not run this year but will instead return on 1st March 2010.
We reluctantly took this decision in the light of the large part of the booking season already lost to the service (due to the unexpectedly long negotiations), and the fact that many potential passengers have already made their bookings for the crucial July, August and September sailings.
Co-op Chairman Conor Buckley said, "We would have liked to have the service resumed for this summer but, despite the enormous amount of work we have already put into the formation of the co-op, we feel that there is an overpowering economic case to not proceed this summer.
No one would thank us for rushing into service now and sustaining huge losses. It would undermine everything we have worked for and would be a potentially huge loss of shareholders money - it is far better that we continue with the very solid foundations we are building now and ensure a totally sustainable business for the next twenty-plus years.
We have to take the long term view".
We do realise that many of you will find this news disappointing - but we are convinced that this decision is the best one for the future of this service - and we look forward to welcoming you all on-board the ship in the New Year.
Today Co-op shareholder and indefatigable campaigner John Hosford, made a presentation to the Petitions Committee of the Welsh Assembly and received a very positive hearing (link to the video is on the Campaign website at www.bringbacktheswanseacorkferry.com
The Co-op will make follow up submissions to the Assembly as a result of John's initiative and there is a real possibility that some funding may well be secured which would be another enormous boost to the ferry service.
We will keep you up to date with further developments as they occur - and we are sure that you will understand our reasons for this decision.
Conor Buckley, Chairman West Cork Tourism Co-op
Ferry Campaigner John Hosford on a mission to Wales! - 5th May 2009
John Hosford, campaign co-organiser is in Wales today (5th May) for a hectic round of meetings with the Welsh Assembly, local media and business organisations.
In his address to the Petitions Committee, John spoke of the economic benefits to be gained for the reintroduction of the Cork-Swansea link, and was invited by the Committee to pursue the matter of funding with the Welsh Assembly.
You missed him LIVE! on the Welsh Assembly’s own internet TV channel and on the digital channel S4C2 at 9:30am on 5/5/09 as he addressed the Petitions Committee. However you can see the archived video on the senedd.tv website here.
The Campaign has already received considerable interest and support from individuals and politicians in South Wales, where the loss of the ferry service has had a significant impact on the local economy.
”Thank you for your Donations” - a letter from Paul O’Brien, General Manager of the co-op - 1st May
“Dear Adrian
We have so far received more than €895 in donations from supporters of the restoration of the Cork Swansea ferry service through the efforts of yourself and www.bringbacktheswanseacorkferry.com
This money has been used to defray the considerable expenses incurred in setting up the co-op to date. We are extremely grateful and very touched by the continued generosity of all our supporters. Many people have worked, unpaid and unrewarded, during this campaign and it is an absolute privilege to be associated with such unselfish effort and for such a worthwhile cause.
I would be grateful if you would pass on the thanks of everyone on the Board of the co-op and would encourage anyone who cannot contribute to purchase a share to maybe think of contributing to the fighting fund to help pay the expenses to date.
Warm regards.
Paul O'Brien General Manager - West Cork Tourism Co-operative Society Ltd.”
Latest Campaign Newsletter - 28th April
Contains :-
Update on progress with the Julia Fastnet Line pre-booking site C103 - West Cork Today John Hosford - Irish ‘Ambassador’ to Swansea Results of our User Survey more
NEWSFLASH - Friday 24th April “(Cork) Council commits €250,000 to ferry” Cork Independent - by Mary O’ Keeffe
Cork County Council has committed significant funding towards the re-establishment of the Cork Swansea ferry service. The local authority yesterday announced that it will provide up to €250,000 towards the ferry service’s marketing plan which it hopes will be match funded by Failte Ireland in the South West. more
NEWSFLASH - Friday 10th April - 8:30am - More information on the West Cork Tourism Co-Operative Ltd. From West Cork Tourism
By a unanimous decision of the founding meeting, the shareholders elected the following board members and officers:
Tim Looney West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen Board Member
David Good Trident Hotel, Kinsale Board Member
Aiden McCarthy
Caislean Stone Masons, Bantry Board Member
Noel Murphy
Castletownbere Board Member
Robert Walsh - Walsh Printers Ltd, Clonakilty Board Member
Paul O'Brien
Customer service specialist - Drimoleague General Manager
Pat Keenan
Former CEO Port of Cork Treasurer
This team was instrumental in getting us this far both in fundraising and in negotiating the deal and it was unanimously felt that they are in the best position to see us through this next vital phase of our venture.
We will give more details on the structure of the co-op in a later update and the options we have for including the other areas who are part of this great enterprise and how we will formally cement these relationships together for all our benefits.
The Julia will cost €7.8m funded by the co-op's shareholders and a bank loan. The deal has now to be accepted by a court in Finland which will then allow the liquidator to complete the sale to us.
Our initial immediate working capital requirements are, to get the Julia from Finland, dry dock her and prepare her for the Irish sea, flag her, bring her under Dept. of Marine (Irish) and Dept of Transport (UK) regulations, sea trials etc. We still have a requirement to raise additional working capital and we have engaged a financial advisor to help us with this task.
The deal is now quite different to the original deal but with a greatly reduced purchase price and with the co-operative in a very strong position with an asset backed business. This however is also the beginning of the risk for shareholders. We passionately believe in the new ferry service but we will proceed prudently at all times and our task now is to ensure that the ferry is adequately capitalised for the years ahead.
We are doing everything we can to ensure the ferry service is up and running as soon as possible and will update you on the latest news as soon as we have it. If you want a local news perspective on the meeting please read the story from the Southern Star.
Conor Buckley, Chairman West Cork Tourism Co-Operative Ltd. on behalf of all of the team.
Would you like to help the Campaign? Many of you have already supported the campaign through the Pledge Investment scheme - and we’d like to say a big ‘Thank you’ to you all... Every penny that you’ve invested will go straight into the co-operative, and will purchase a major share in the new ship.
Still more of you have said that you’d like to help, but can’t afford the minimum €1,000 syndicate investment. With this in mind - we’re pleased to introduce a new online Donation scheme - where you can donate any amount you’d like via a secure credit card / Paypal payment.
Your donations will be administered by the co-op board (all of whom are working on a voluntary, unpaid, basis) - to help pay the costs associated with setting up the co-op and getting the ship back into service. These include legal costs, travelling, admin etc.
If you would like to help - please click this ‘Donate’ button, to give us your donation via Paypal (you don’t need a Paypal account to donate - any major credit card will do fine).
A little nostalgia! Many thanks to Keiran at Irishferriesenthusiasts who sent us these great Innisfallen posters from the 1950’s.
His website has a complete section on the ships that have carried the name since 1900.
With your help - we can add a new photo to the history - when we re-name the Julia.
Time is running out - pleasepledge your investment todayand we can get the Innisfallen sailing again from Swansea to Cork.
We’re now on YouTube! Watch the excellent news item from BBC Wales on youtube here. or click ‘play’ on this window......
Thanks! - to Laura at GolleySlater for talking to the BBC and Mark in Schull for doing the magic with the video!
Pledgeline update A number of people have asked us about pledging more than €1,000 as part of a syndicate. We’ve modified the online pledge form and it is now is now delighted to accept your pledges of €1k, €2k, €3k, €5k, €10k or €10k+.
Vital Statistics! We’ve had a massive response to our recent publicity efforts You’re obviously all as keen as we are to see the return of the Swansea-Cork ferry - so please consider making a pledge investment (as little as €1,000 euro - about 900 pounds sterling) - and help us to bring back the Swansea Cork Ferry!
“Amid all this gloom, wouldn't it be nice to see the return of a Swansea-Cork ferry? Perhaps not, if you're a rival operator, but it is heart-warming to see how much support the campaign has received - there was even a donation from San Francisco.
Sorry, that should read investment, as the organisers were at pains to emphasise. And maybe they have a point, because what this demonstrates is that many ferry services aren't purely about profit, but the lifeline between communities they provide. In all sorts of ways, the world seems to be getting smaller, but the reality on the water is that the seas are as big as ever.”
Listen to John Hosford Campaign Spokesperson speaking to David Young on C103. (West Cork Today show 26/2/09)C103 have been great supporters of the Campaign from the very beginning - thanks folks!
If you have already Pledged (thanks !) - but please don’t forget to send us your money - bank & contact details here
What’s this all about ? Since the ferry service ceased in October 2006 there was a considerable amount of rumour surrounding the absence of the service - and, in the absence of any ‘concrete’ information, speculation was rife.
There’s one thing that was always undeniable - the Swansea-Cork ferry link brought a large number of UK and EU tourists into the south-west of Ireland - and, without them, many local businesses and individuals who rely on tourism are feeling the pinch, as more than €35m is lost each year the ferry doesn’t run. (See ‘my story’ and our ‘e-petition’ pages for more details)
There’s also a knock-on effect at the other end of the ferry link - in South Wales. Irish folks used to travel to the Swansea area for shopping trips, and UK / EU people travelling to Ireland used to support Welsh businesses (restaurants, hotels, B&B’s etc) If you are a based in the Swansea area, and have been affected by the suspension of the ferry, then we’d like to hear from you. If you’d like to Help Us by contacting your local MPs / TDs / Councillors / Ministers then you can find their contact details on our Help Us page.
Just to clarify one thing - we’d all like the Swansea-Cork link to be restored, preferably with a modern, comfortable boat, operated by a responsive, efficient, ethical company. Whoever is involved in operating it, the Swansea-Cork ferry service and the onward ‘land-bridge’ to Europe must be restored as soon as possible!
Please add your words of support to our e-petition page - with your help we can produce the focus and pressure that’s needed to get this vital service reinstated!
Latest Ferry News! (see our News page for a complete archive) or read our latest newsletter here
9/5/09 Disappointment at deferral of ferry service until next March -tempered by general acceptance of reasons Southern Star - Leo McMahon - more - How to Invest - How to donate
7/4/09 23:00 - It’s Unanimous! Huge positivity at Shareholder meeting & Fastnetline pre-booking site opens - From the Campaign - more - How to Invest - How to donate
1/4/09 Agreement reached on basis of a deal to purchase the Julia - Newsletter from the Campaign - more - How to Invest - How to donate
12/3/09 Swansea-Cork ferry talks ongoing - BBC News Backers aiming to refloat the Swansea to Cork ferry are in ongoing talks with the owner of a replacement boat. - more - How to Invest
16/2/09 - Deadline extended for ferry bid A consortium working to restore the Swansea to Cork ferry has been granted an extra two weeks to raise the money.- BBC News website - more - How to Invest
25/2/09 - Ferry roadshow comes to Swansea - Press release from the BringBackTheSwanseaCorkFerryCampaign - more - How to Invest
24/2/09 Ferry return 'would boost city' The return of the Swansea to Cork ferry would boost tourism and business in south Wales, backers have said. - BBC News Website - more - How to Invest
12/2/09 - Fresh Hope for Swansea Cork Ferry Service and Future of South West Tourism ~ A New Co-operative calls for support of local business people to raise €3 million - from West Cork Tourism - more
18/10/08 - A huge issue for tourism region! - An excellent summary of the story so far by Leo McMahon in the Southern Star - more
11/10/08 “Ten reasons why we’re not competing with Ryanair” - by Chris Taylor - reported on www.talkireland.com more
Show your support ! - Help to spread the word about this website by printing a copy of our car-sticker and, .... well, sticking it on your car, or shop, or house or wherever it’ll be seen. Get the sticker here. When you print it, you’ll get three car stickers - so give two to your friends! (The real one is a lot bigger than this....!)
The background to this website The Swansea to Cork ferry service was suspended by the operators in Autumn 2006. The service did not run at all during 2007, or 2008 either.
The continuing absence of the ferry service has had a serious impact on the economy of this part of Ireland - as the only alternative car / lorry ferries add significant distance and probably an extra day’s travelling for people travelling from England to the South and South-West of Ireland.
The Swansea-Cork route is shown in pink on this map.
Even though it is the longest crossing of all the UK-Ireland ferries it used to sail overnight, and, if you were visiting the southern counties of Ireland, it would save you many hours driving once you landed at Cork.
Now landing at the closest port to Cork & Kerry (Rosslare) involves an extra three or four hours driving - hardly a relaxing start to a family holiday !
Everybody you speak to here has their own story to tell of the real hardship and lost opportunity that has been caused by the cancellation of the ferry. This site tells these very real, human stories - and is intended to highlight the effect that this is having on the local economy - in the hope that the people who have the power to do something about restoring the ferry service will actually get on and do something about it.
Don’t get us wrong - the south-west of Ireland is still a great place to visit for a holiday - but we’d like to make it much more accessible again so you can spend less time getting here and more time enjoying it!
Check our Links page for loads of links about holidaying in Ireland, and things to do & see when you’re here.
If you have a story to tell (like the ones on our ‘my story’ page) - please email us - and we’ll add your experiences to our website...
To show your support for our campaign - please sign our ‘e-petition.
If you’d like an entry on our Links page - please email us.
website hosting by www.Blacknight.com “Really nice people, fast & accurate technical support, and excellent prices!” Adrian Brentnall - webmaster - www.bringbacktheswanseacorkferry.com
Website & campaign sponsored by Hosfords Garden Centre and Inspired-glass We would like to make it totally clear that this website has no connection in any form with the company “Swansea Cork Ferries Ltd” - who operated the ferry service until October 2006 - and that any use of the term ‘Swansea Cork Ferry’ is in the generic.
Ferry Campaigner John Hosford on a mission to Wales! 
Conor Buckley
Stephen O'Keeffe
Tim Looney
David Good
Aiden McCarthy 
Noel Murphy
Paul O'Brien 
- Help to spread the word about this website by printing a copy of our car-sticker and, .... well, sticking it on your car, or shop, or house or wherever it’ll be seen. 
