Celtic Link Ferries operate a car ferry service between the Irish port of Rosslare and the French port of Cherbourg.
Cherbourg to Rosslare
Rosslare to Cherbourg
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Celtic Link Ferries
The Rosslare to Cherbourg Celtic Link Ferry route has re-opened thanks to the intervention of the O'Flaherty brothers from Kilmore Quay under the Celtic Link Ferries Ltd umbrella. Celtic Link operates the ferry service between Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland and Cherbourg in the North of France.
The ferry crossing takes approximately 18 to 20 hours and the service runs three times weekly in each direction.
There are a number of spacious 2, 3, 4 & 5 bed cabins with ensuite bathroom facilities as well as a bar, restaurant and lounges with big screen televisions.
Celtic Link Ferries Route Map
About Celtic Link Ferries
The O’Flahertys purchased the 16.5 tonne Diplomat from P&O, paying £10m for the vessel, which is now back on the Celtic Sea. P&O has been contracted to operate and staff the Diplomat as part of the agreement, ensuring a high level of professional service and a continuity that gives rise to confidence.
The Diplomat will sail three times a week, accommodating 85 articulated trucks and an additional 114 passengers.
The Celtic Link Ferry vessel sails three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) and can accommodate 85 articulated trucks and 114 passengers. It has also been licensed to carry livestock.
Though the Diplomat is primarily a freight vessel, Celtic Link will also carry other vehicles, including cars, trailers and motorcycles as well as passengers on the cross-channel journey, which takes eighteen and a half hours.
Bookings can be made online using secure credit card facilities. For online bookings, tickets are not required - passengers will simply require their booking number (which they will receive electronically) to board.
Check-in must be made at least 45 minutes before departure and all fares include on-board meals. Passengers have a choice of two-, three-, four- or five-bedroom cabins, all of which are spacious, above sea level and carry ensuite facilities. Other onboard facilities include a fully-licensed bar, shop and widescreen televisions.
Celtic Link managing director Paul Tyrrell explains how the new company came to be: “P & O announced that the vessel would cease sailing in October/November 2004. When the O’Flahertys, who are a major exporter of fish, heard this they decided to look into the possibility of keeping the service going. They knew it was a route that both they and many hauliers would use on a regular basis, so they sought advice and identified it as a viable option.”
MD Paul Tyrrell, owners Denis and Seamus O'Flaherty and the massive presence of the Diplomat itself in the background
As things turn out, two of the six O’Flaherty brothers behind Celtic Link - Denis and Seamus - are marine engineers as well as shrewd businessmen. Thus, they were able to carry out a thorough survey of the Diplomat themselves prior to purchase.
Of course, in business hard work is crucial. Paul Tyrrell notes: “We’re not at full capacity yet and we know there’s a lot of work needed to get there. But things are going well so far, and we’ve had a good level of support from the industry and from the road haulage industry, who are delighted that the route has been re-opened and upgraded."
Celtic Link Ferries is a fast direct route to France and it gives hauliers another option for travelling to and from Rosslare and Cherbourg.
