Irish Ferries invests €4M in Ulysses upgrade

Irish Ferries’ ropax Ulysses has undergone an extensive dry work investment at Cammell Laird shipyard in the UK.

The US$4.5M (€4M) upgrade was undertaken to complete refurbishment and maintenance work and included new propellers, rudder components, a full refurbishment of the stern thruster and other underwater works, engine overhauls and vehicle deck painting programmes.

Irish Ferries said the Birkenhead-based shipyard and engineering service company Cammell Laird was chosen for the drydock refurbishment due to its “extensive expertise and a strong track record with this vessel”.

The ferry returned to Dublin on 13 February after a four-week upgrade and will resume duties on the Dublin to Holyhead route.

Irish Ferries managing director Andrew Sheen said “This is a significant investment in Ulysses, which we know is a much-loved ship for both freight and tourism traffic. We are delighted to see it return to service to continue to provide the comfort and reliability that our customers expect from the Irish Ferries fleet”.

Irish Ferries’ fleet of six ships provides daily and weekly links to and from Ireland for tourism and freight travelling between Ireland and the UK and Ireland and the continent.

Irish Ferries added a new ropax ferry – with one more to come – to its fleet after receiving €155M funding from the European Investment Bank to help the ferry operator’s owner Irish Continental Group to finance the vessels.

The two ferries will increase passenger and cargo capacity on routes to Ireland, replace older and smaller vessels and significantly reduce emissions from the fleet. Irish Ferries’ new W.B. Yeats cruise ferry made its first commercial voyage from Dublin to Holyhead in January.