Vessel named after St Patrick
A year-round ferry service from Cork to France has been launched with six sailings per week starting next month.
Bookings are now open for Hibernia Line’s St Patrick and the MV Akka from Ringaskiddy to Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France, opening a new direct route between Ireland and mainland Europe.
Legend has it that St Patrick himself was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, and in a fitting tribute, one of Hibernia Line’s flagship vessels carries his name.
This new route is built around evening departures. Passengers can board in Cork at 9pm, settle into a cabin and arrive in France the following evening. In the opposite direction, sailings depart Boulogne-sur-Mer at 10pm CET and arrive in Cork the next day.
Hibernia Line is headquartered in Cork and is creating up to 250 immediate jobs in Ireland and France, including approximately 200 crew positions. Some of these will be cadets from the National Maritime College of Ireland, based in Ringaskiddy.
Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Seán Canney, said: “Hibernia Line’s new route represents a significant enhancement in Ireland’s connectivity with mainland Europe, strengthening both passenger travel and freight capacity. Improved direct routes of this kind support more resilient supply chains, reduce pressure on existing ports and provide greater choice for businesses and passengers. I welcome investment that contributes to regional development, job creation and more efficient, reliable transport links between Ireland and mainland Europe.”
Hibernia Line founder and Chief Executive, Aidan Coffey, said the goal is to make travel and freight movement between Ireland and Europe more straightforward and dependable.
He explained: “The focus is on consistency, frequency and a service that works for both freight and passengers. I’ve seen first-hand how even small inconsistencies can disrupt hauliers’ schedules, so we’ve designed these routes with that in mind, reducing exposure to risks such as port congestion, capacity constraints and delays, while also prioritising comfort, driver welfare and level of service on board.”
The St Patrick has a deck space of 2,200 lane metres, while the MV Akka can carry 2,500 lane metres of freight and passenger vehicles.
For passengers, the route opens a new gateway between Ireland and Europe, with onward access to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and beyond. From France, Ireland’s west coast and Wild Atlantic Way are now more accessible.
H.E. Céline Place, Ambassador of France to Ireland, said: “I am delighted to see the opening of the new year-round ferry service linking Ringaskiddy with Boulogne-sur-Mer. It is now one of many ferry services between Ireland and France, so travelling to your closest neighbour in the EU is only getting easier! New maritime connections such as this one have added significantly to the vibrancy of the Franco-Irish relations in recent years.”
The St Patrick holds 193 cabins and the MV Akka has 227, with capacity for more than 600 passengers per sailing.
Monica MacLaverty, Tourism Ireland’s Strategy Implementation Manager for Mainland Europe, said: “As an island destination, we know there’s a proven direct correlation between access and growth in inbound tourism, so this new service will certainly help boost tourism business from France, Germany and the Benelux countries – supporting Tourism Ireland’s ambition to deliver step-change growth from Mainland Europe in 2026 and beyond.”
Bookings for passengers can be made at hibernia-line.com. Bookings for freight passengers will open in the coming weeks.