Plans in place for passenger ferry service

The first passenger ferry service in more than a century could be in Leeside in the next two years.

Connecting 17 locations across Cork city and harbour, the €80 million investment will involve all-electric vessels, which will be uniquely designed for the harbour and river environment.

This is to achieve a zero emission, low noise, low wake service and be able to operate at low speeds in restricted areas so as to protect the environment and other river users, and yet have capability to achieve more efficient speeds in the open water areas of Lough Mahon & the lower harbour to give an efficient, comfortable, reliable scheduled service.

The new Zero Emission Commuter & Tourist Passenger Ferry Service is the brainchild of Portus Greenway Limited, trading as Harbour Link.

Today, Monday, the company announced it is in advanced stages of planning for this ferry service. It will connect, with all-electric vessels, locations such as Cork Docklands, Cobh, Spike Island and SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, which will provide significant services on big-match days, alleviating traffic congestion and enhancing access to one of Ireland’s premier sporting venues.

The company is in discussions with Cork city and county councils and the Port of Cork in developing this initiative, to transport daily commuters, local residents and tourists to and from the city and to the many harbour communities & attractions using the natural unobstructed highway of the River Lee, providing a zero-emission alternative to road transport.

The 17 docking locations identified by the company within the harbour include stops at Crosshaven, Aghada, Spike Island, Cobh Lynch’s Quay and Five Foot-Way, Ringaskiddy, Monkstown, Passage West, Little Island, Blackrock Castle & Observatory, Blackrock Pier, Tivoli, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Kennedy Quay (both the latter servicing the South Docklands), and right into the heart of the city at the city quays to link with the new transport hub at the back of Kent Station and give direct pedestrian and cyclist access to the city.

The commuter service has planned frequencies of 30 minutes to the city in each direction and the company will offer short-break tourists a 24 or 48 hour Hop on Hop off pass for those visiting the many harbour attractions.

The company further plans to develop a Harbour Hub Terminus at Lynch’s Quay in Cobh, which will incorporate a second cruise berth for the many increasing cruise liners, which will also act as a base for charging all vessels, as it will provide the necessary plug-in systems worthy of a modern terminus to include shore-power solutions for all types of marine craft.

Aidan Coffey, founder and principal from Portus Greenway said: “Cork has a unique opportunity to develop this stylish yet sustainable mode of all electric zero emission ferry transport, as it has the unique unencumbered natural resource of the River Lee leading directly into the city.

“Much work has been already done in the design stages and consultations with the relevant authorities & stakeholders, including vessel and infrastructure designers, plus local sustainable power providers to ensure the service is a true zero emission service. This is a win-win from an environmental and public perspective and we’re really excited about the journey ahead.”

He added: ““Cork has a fantastic opportunity to develop this stylish yet sustainable mode of all electric zero emission transport, as it has the unique resource of the un-encumbered natural highway of the River Lee leading directly into the city.

“For minimal disruption to the public and no cost to the exchequer, Cork can have a world class commuter & tourist service that can act as a catalyst to bring many more tourists to the city and open up the harbour for the enjoyment of the public at large like never before.”

The company expects to lodge planning applications within six to 12 months, with a view to be operational by early to mid-2027.

A spokesman for Jerry Buttimer TD, Minister for State at the Department of Transport, said: “Minister for State at the department of Transport Jerry Buttimer, is very supportive of the ambition and concept of the Harbour Link. It could be transformative for tourism and commuters in Cork city, Blackrock, Monkstown, Crosshaven and across the harbour. Minister Buttimer wishes the very best to all those involved and hopes it will come to fruition.”

Alan Giltinan, Founder and Centre Manager Blackrock Castle & Observatory, said: “An important juncture in the development of Cork Harbour, Cork tourism and educational opportunity, Blackrock Castle warmly welcomes this endeavour.

“The ability to welcome visitors to the observatory via the water has the potential to significantly increase the footfall to the castle whilst giving the public a wonderfully scenic entrance through our waterside archway. It affords the castle an opportunity to return to our roots of landside and waterside access, a historical pathway of significance to both the castle and the region.”

The vessels

All vessels are of catamaran design and each have the capacity for up to 300 passengers to cope with the high peak demand for commuter and tourist times and the high-demand requirements from the largest cruise liners, along with special events at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Live at the Marquee or potentially a new event centre developed alongside the river.

Each vessel will have twin decks with comfortable air-conditioned, 180° vision indoor cabin space and will also have rear open-air areas at the back on both decks, to give fresh unrestricted views of the harbour sights, with the breeze in your hair. They will be fully wheelchair accessible and be equipped with bicycle & luggage racks and will accommodate mobility & electric scooters, along with kiddie’s strollers and for those who can’t bear to leave their furry friends behind, the open decks are pet-friendly, so your four-legged companions can enjoy the journey too.

Services on-board will include a barista styled coffee-dock and kiosk for light refreshments, and equipped with male, female and disabled accessible toilets, free 4g Wi-Fi and a down-loadable app for multilingual guided harbour historic listening tours for tourists as they travel and explore the historical and iconic harbour sites.

The zero emission vessels will be designed and built to code to the strictest levels of safety in passenger-craft and will carry the most modern safety equipment on board including additional life rafts and fully trained crew. Special instruments will be able to identify other river users such as small boats and rowers to ensure safety for all river users.