Irish Continental Group’s Irish Ferries is adding a new cruise ferry to its fleet, with an agreement to buy the Star 1 vessel from Tallink Hansaway Limited.
The ship, which was built in 2007 in Finland in the same shipyard as Irish Ferries’ Ulysses ferry, was previously with the company on charter and will once again be renamed the James Joyce.
It will rejoin the Irish Ferries fleet in May on the Dublin-Holyhead route alongside the Ulysses and Dublin Swift ships.
Irish Ferries said the James Joyce will be the largest and fastest passenger cruise ferry on the Irish Sea with a capacity for more than 2,000 passengers, cabins and open space and 2,380 lane metres for cars, coaches and freight vehicles.
It has a possible top speed of 27.5 knots.
Irish Ferries Managing Director Andrew Sheen said the new ship will offer customers the very best in terms of comfort, speed, and amenities.
“Along with usual advantages of ferry travel in terms of no luggage restrictions or security queues, we are confident that the James Joyce will become a firm favourite with our passengers and freight drivers, and we look forward to welcoming them on board,” he added.
On Irish Sea routes, Irish Ferries operates up to 16 sailings a day, with its fleet including the Ulysses, the Dublin Swift fast craft and Isle of Inisheer on the Dublin-Holyhead route and the Isle of Innisfree on the Rosslare-Pembroke route.
It also operates the WB Yeats connecting Dublin to France (Cherbourg) throughout the year.
Irish Ferries launched its Dover to Calais service in 2021 and offers a back-to-back service with two ships on the route, the Isle of Inishmore and the Oscar Wilde, with a choice of up to 20 sailings daily.
