Cruise marks maiden visit to Schull

It was all hands on deck recently when a luxury cruise ship weighed anchor at a West Cork town.

Carrying 97 passengers and 63 crew, expedition cruise ship Island Sky overnighted in the naturally sheltered harbour of Schull.

The following morning, passengers boarded the ferry to visit Cape Clear where they were greeted by the Birdwatch Ireland warden and guides who conducted a walking tour of the nature-rich island.

Traditional Irish music group Comhaltas Baile Núis provided on board entertainment and in the afternoon passengers visited Ireland’s most south-westerly point, Mizen Head.

As is tradition, the Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Danny Collins, was brought on board to welcome the ship where he made a presentation to its captain Jose Fonseca to mark the occasion.

Commenting after the visit, Mayor Collins said it was an honour as a Schull native to welcome the Island Sky on its maiden visit to the town.

“There was such a wonderful atmosphere on the pier as the talented traditional musicians entertained the passengers and I’m certain everyone enjoyed their trips to Cape Clear and Mizen Head,” he said.

The Mayor added that Cork County Council is “playing a long game” in attracting tourism, specifically return tourism, to Cork county.

He said: “Showcasing West Cork’s natural, unspoilt beauty and culture to these discerning visitors will pay dividends in the future and we look forward to them returning to the region.”

The Island Sky will return to West Cork shores in early August as part of its Around The Emerald Isle cruise. The ship will arrive at Kinsale harbour on 4 August before departing that evening for Bantry.

Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey said: “Expedition cruising is the fastest growing segment of the cruise industry and West Cork’s unique harbours and islands, along with its rich cultural, historical and food offerings, make it a compelling proposition for cruise planners and their guests seeking out destinations less visited.

“The past 2 years have been challenging which is why it is wonderful to see cruise liners of all sizes returning to county Cork and to West Cork in particular.”

The Island Sky is a vessel of UK cruise company Noble Caledonia which has been in operation for over 30 years.

In that time, the company has earned a reputation as one of the leading small ship cruise companies in the world. Noble Caledonia has featured West Cork harbours for many decades, being frequent callers in the past to Glengarriff.