Hibernia Line to Launch New Cork to France Ferry Service from June
New ferry service set to connect Cork to northern France from mid-June, with six year-round sailings a week between Ringaskiddy and Boulogne-sur-Mer.
A new ferry service connecting Cork Harbour with northern France will begin operating in mid-June, with the operator set to formally launch the route at Ringaskiddy next week.
Hibernia Line will run six evening departures per week in each direction between Ringaskiddy and the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northeastern France. The route will operate year-round, carrying both passengers and freight.
The official launch event takes place at Ringaskiddy Ferry Terminal on Thursday, 7 May, where chief executive Aidan Coffey is expected to set out the company's plans in full. The first commercial sailings are due to begin in the middle of June.
The new route is being positioned as an alternative to the UK landbridge for freight operators travelling to continental Europe, and as a new direct passenger option to northeastern France. Boulogne-sur-Mer sits 40km from Calais and 50km across the sea from Dover, and is described as a leading agri-food hub and a leading fishing port in France, with its industrial hinterland handling more than 300,000 tonnes of seafood products each year.
The new service is backed by Laurence Goodman, chair of ABP Group and son of Larry Goodman. Tim Kenny, executive chair of the Designer Group and a former finance director at Musgrave and Cairn Homes, was appointed to the board last month.
In earlier statements, Hibernia Line said it aims to establish a sustainable, customer-focused freight and passenger ferry service between Ireland and central mainland Europe, reducing reliance on Ireland's two East Coast ports and the UK landbridge. The company said it intends to charter existing vessels initially, with a longer-term goal of introducing energy-efficient, zero-emission dual-fuel ships from its fourth year of operations.
Hibernia Line is a member of Cork Chamber and the French Ireland Chamber of Commerce. Cork Safety Alerts will carry further coverage from the official launch at Ringaskiddy next Thursday.