Shared Island funding to boost Carlingford Lough tourism

Shared Island funding has been allocated to developing tourism around Carlingford Lough.

The latest funding announcement from the Shared Island unit, includes €820,000 for the Great Lighthouses of Ireland initiative and Carlingford Lough tourism.

The funding will support a feasibility study and economic assessment of a ‘Loop of the Lough’ tourism concept.

The Loop of the Lough would link key attractions on both sides of Carlingford Lough, complementing previous tourism investment in the area, as well as the new Narrow Water Bridge.

The funding has been welcomed by local Fianna Fáil TD Erin McGreehan, who said that the concept could “potentially restore the Carlingford Lough Ferry Service”.

Last month, it was announced that the service was being suspended for 2026, with no date set for when the service resumed.

The ferry, which runs between Greenore in Co Louth and Greencastle in Co Down, launched in 2017 and is operated by the Frazer Ferry Group.

The news of the suspended service was seen as a blow to tourism and businesses in the Cooley Peninsula and South Down region.

Deputy McGreehan said that the inclusion of this feasibility assessment for a Loop of the Lough is an indication the Department and local authorities are committed to exploring opportunities to restore the service “in a way that is both viable and sustainable”.

“The ferry service was a hugely valuable local amenity and transport link. However, it struggled to achieve the level of commercial viability required to sustain year-round, long-term operations without additional support,” she said.

“The concept of the Loop of the Lough presents an exciting opportunity to create a stronger tourism offering around Carlingford Lough. With the Narrow Water Bridge and the ferry service together completing the route, there is real potential to develop a sustainable tourism model that could support the return of the ferry”.

Deputy McGreehan said that increasing visitor numbers through the proposed tourism initiative could help the ferry to achieve the required number of passengers to operate sustainably.

“The feasibility study will determine whether that potential can be realised,” she said.

Today’s announcement by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee is part of a wider investment of €377 million in Shared Island funding for 12 new projects to be delivered between 2027 and 2030.

The projects include Derry-Belfast-Dublin rail infrastructure investment, the Lough Neagh Catchment Water Quality programme, Phase 3 of the Ulster Canal project and a contribution to redevelop cricket facilities at the Stormont Estate in Belfast, a target locations for co-hosting games in Northern Ireland as part of joint hosting by Ireland and the UK of the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup in 2030.