By Ryan Sands
A MOURNES councillor has requested that council establish a taskforce to look at any opportunities there may be for helping to sustain the Carlingford Lough Ferry, which has suspended sailings for this year.
Henry Reilly (DUP) raised the issue at Monday’s monthly local authority meeting after it was confirmed late last month that the ferry “will not be operating a service between Greencastle, County Down, and Greenore, County Louth, on any date in 2026”.
Addressing council chairperson Glyn Hanna, Cllr Reilly said: “You and I were very disappointed to find out that it is no longer operating.
“I would be very grateful if council officials could pull together some taskforce that could look at every opportunity for that service, because it did link County Louth with the Kingdom of Mourne, and it was developing into a real good tourist facility.
“I know some councillors were anxious about it in the past and didn’t support it, because they thought it would affect the bridge at Warrenpoint (Narrow Water Bridge), but that is no longer an issue.
“If there was some way we could look at it collectively, I think it would be in everybody’s interest for tourism and relations between the two areas.
“It would be very, very important if the council could agree that.”
Chief executive Marie Ward advised that, as the matter was not on the meeting’s agenda, it would be for council officials to consider the suggestion and bring it to the relevant committee.
Cllr Hanna added that the issue would be looked into.
Last week, the SDLP’s Infrastructure spokesperson, Justin McNulty, tabled an Assembly question, asking Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins to “detail the rationale for the Carlingford Ferry not operating during this tourist season and any steps her department intends to take to rectify this situation”.
The minister responded: “My department has no governance or financial involvement with this ferry service.
“I am unaware of the rationale for it operating no sailings in 2026.
“Carlingford Lough Ferry is owned and operated by Frazer Ferries Ltd.”
In the full story read what Louth TD Erin McGeehan said about how the ferry affects Tourism in the area.
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