Pembrokeshire’s ferry ports are buzzing with new services and record-breaking arrivals this week, making waves in the transport scene
Pembrokeshire: This week has been quite the ride for the ferry ports. With the Port of Holyhead closed, Pembroke Dock and Fishguard are stepping up to handle the extra traffic.
Irish Ferries kicked things off on January 8 with a new service from Pembroke Dock to Dublin, using the Isle of Innisfree. The crossing takes about 7.5 hours and runs daily, leaving Wales at 6 AM and returning from Ireland at 8:30 PM.
They’re bringing back the Isle of Innisfree just for this route until January 16, when Holyhead is expected to reopen after the damage from Storm Darragh.
George Holland, a ferry enthusiast, called this new service ‘unprecedented.’ It’s a big deal, especially since Pembroke Dock already has its regular sailings to Rosslare, which are happening twice a day.
Meanwhile, Fishguard Harbour is making history too. They welcomed their largest ferry ever, the Stena Adventurer, and even had the Isle of Innisfree come in for berthing trials.
Mr. Holland mentioned that just when they thought things couldn’t get more exciting, Fishguard got its third new ferry visitor in just four weeks. The Isle of Inisheer came in for trials, likely as a backup in case Holyhead’s reopening gets pushed back.
This isn’t the first time the Isle of Inisheer has been in Pembrokeshire; she covered the Pembroke Dock-Rosslare route last September while the Isle of Innisfree was in dry dock.
Irish Ferries is optimistic about reopening Holyhead on January 16, but they’re keeping an eye on the weather. Stena Line is also busy, with their ferries making regular trips to Rosslare and Dublin.