Irish Ferries is to replace the Isle of Inishmore on the Rosslare to Pembroke Dock route with a smaller but faster ferry.
The company has announced the addition of the RoRo(roll-on/roll-off) passenger ferry Blue Star 1 to the route - which has been impacted by a post Brexit fall in trade as more goods move to direct EU mainland-Ireland services.
Irish Ferries says this new arrival "underlines our commitment" to the route.
The Blue Star 1 has the capacity to carry up to 1,500 passengers, 100 freight vehicles and up to 700 cars depending on freight volume.
This makes it smaller than the ferry it is replacing, the Isle of Inishmore, which carries 2,200 passengers, 856 cars (or 122 lorries).
But Irish Ferries says at 27 knots it will be the fastest RoRo operating between the UK and Ireland and it also has additional cabin numbers to allow more single occupancy cabins for freight drivers.
The ship is being chartered from the Attica Group and delivery is expected in early April.
The firm also today announced a new service between Dover and Calais.
Andrew Sheen, Irish Ferries managing director, said: “We are very pleased to add a quality ship of the calibre of the versatile Blue Star 1 to the Irish Ferries fleet. This ship will be the fastest RoRo passenger ship operating between Britain and Ireland and this will help ensure schedule integrity.
"The introduction of this ship underlines our commitment to the Rosslare to Pembroke route, the primary shipping corridor between Ireland and South Wales.
"It also underlines our commitment to the significant contribution that this route makes in facilitating trade for both exporters and importers as well as facilitating essential passenger movements and future tourists as the country re-opens post Covid-19”.
