Study on providing public transport in cross-border regions : mapping of existing services and legal obstacles : ferry service Greenore (Ireland) – Greencastle (Great Britain) : case study report.
Date: 2022-01-06
Institutions: Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy
Subjects: Ireland, United Kingdom, administrative formalities, business model, cartography, case study, cross-border cooperation, cross-border dimension, financing, governance, provision of services, public transport, transport network, transport regulations

Study on providing public transport 
in cross-border regions – mapping 
of existing services and legal 
obstacles 

Case Study report 

Ferry service Greenore (Ireland) – Greencastle (Great Britain) 

Contract: 2019CE160AT093 

Written by 
Carsten Schürmann, TCP International 
September – 2021 

 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy 
Directorate D – European Territorial Cooperation, Macro-regions, Interreg and Programmes Implementation I 
Unit D2 – Interreg, Cross-Border Cooperation, Internal Borders 

Contact: Ricardo Ferreira 

E-mail:  REGIO-D2-CROSS-BORDER-COOPERATION@ec.europa.eu  

ricardo.ferreira@ec.europa.eu 

European Commission 
B-1049 Brussels 

 
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Study on providing public transport 
in cross-border regions – mapping 
of existing services and legal 
obstacles 

Case Study report 

Ferry service Greenore (Ireland) – Greencastle (Great Britain) 

Contract: 2019CE160AT093 

2021 

EN 

Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy 

 
 
The  information  and  views  set  out  in  this  report  are  those  of  the  authors  and  do  not  necessarily  reflect  the 
official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in 
this  report.  Neither  the  Commission  nor  any  person  acting  on  the  Commission’s  behalf  may  be  held 
responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein. 

Manuscript completed in September 2021 

1st edition 

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ISBN 978-92-76-46218-7   doi: 10.2776/671358 

KN-08-21-393-EN-N 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES IN CROSS-BORDER REGIONS – MAPPING OF EXISTING 
SERVICES AND LEGAL OBSTACLES 

Table of Contents 

1. 

2. 

Introduction .............................................................................................. 6 

Features and benefits of the service ...................................................... 6 

2.1.  Geographic context and scope of the service ........................................ 7 

2.2.  Demand for and benefits of the service ................................................. 8 

2.3.  Governance ........................................................................................... 9 

2.4.  Operational provisions ......................................................................... 10 

3.  Obstacles and solutions ....................................................................... 11 

3.1.  Carlingford Lough as geographical specificity ..................................... 14 

3.1.1.  Impact of the obstacle ............................................................................. 14 
3.1.2.  Solutions to overcome the obstacle ........................................................ 14 

3.2.  Public participation and optimal technical solutions ............................. 15 

3.2.1.  Impact of the obstacle ............................................................................. 16 
3.2.2.  Solutions to overcome the obstacle ........................................................ 16 

3.3.  Financing and operational adjustments ............................................... 18 

3.3.1.  Impact of the obstacle ............................................................................. 18 
3.3.2.  Solutions to overcome the obstacle ........................................................ 19 
4.  Conclusions and lessons learnt ........................................................... 19 

References ...................................................................................................... 21 

Documents .................................................................................................... 21 

Websites ....................................................................................................... 21 

Interviews ...................................................................................................... 22 

List of tables 

Table 2.1 

Characteristics of the business model .......................................... 6 

Table 3.1 

Overview of obstacles ................................................................ 12 

List of figures 

Figure 2.1 

Location of ferry service in Carlingford Loch ............................... 7 

Figure 2.2 

The two double-end ferries ....................................................... 11 

Figure 3.1 

Port areas of Greenore and Greencastle ferry terminals .......... 16 

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1.  Introduction 

This  case  study  report  presents  the  business  model  for  the  cross-border  public  ferry 
service  Greenore  (Republic  of  Ireland)  –  Greencastle  (Northern  Ireland,  United 
Kingdom).  This  report  is  part  of  a  series  of  31  case  studies  developed  in  the 
framework  of the study ‘Providing public transport in cross-border regions  – Mapping 
of  existing  services  and  legal  obstacles’.  Spatial  Foresight  in  cooperation  with  TCP 
international,  TRT  trasporti  e  territorio  and  EureConsult  completed  this  study  for  the 
European Commission’s DG REGIO. 

The  case  studies  highlight  a  variety  of  business  models  for  cross-border  public 
transport services. This includes governance arrangements and operational provisions 
to  develop  the  service  and  address  demand  in  border  regions.  These  aspects  will  be 
introduced  in  section  2,  as  well  as  the  territorial  scope  of  the  service.  Section  3 
presents key obstacles related to the business model as well as solutions. Section 4 is 
about lessons learnt from this case. 

This  case  study  demonstrates  the  need  for  time  to  develop  a  cross-border  ferry 
service  in  rural  and  remote  areas  between  the  Republic  of  Ireland  and  Northern 
Ireland.  Initial  planning  steps  started  in  the  early  1990s,  however,  it  took  until  2017 
for  the  first  ferry  to  cross  Carlingford  Lough.  Given  the  timetables  and  operational 
details, the ferry is a good example of a service that is fully adjusted to the needs of 
tourists. In contrast, the local population benefits only to a limited extent during high 
season from the ferry connection. 

Given  Brexit  and  the  pandemic,  the  timing  of  the  launch  was  unfortunate.  The 
Carlingford  Lough  ferry  had  little  time  to  build  a  foothold  and  recognition  before  first 
Brexit and then the pandemic hit. 

Nevertheless, the approach to developing and implementing the service included some 
salient good practices. In addition to the development of the detailed technical plans, 
this  includes  the  intensive  and  exemplary  public  participation  process.  This  became 
necessary  because  a  very  active  interest  group  was  formed  on  the  Northern  Ireland 
side,  which  was  very  sceptical  about  the  project  and  exerted  pressure  on  the  actors. 
This  pressure  not  only  led  to  an  unusually  large  number  and  variety  of  participatory 
approaches,  but  also  to  the  implementation  of  diverse  studies  as  well  as 
comprehensive documentation of the entire participation process. 

The  studies,  documentation  and  resulting  press  articles  form  the  basis  for  this  case 
study.  These  were  supplemented  by  an  interview  with  the  managing  director  of 
Carlingford Lough Ferry in mid-August 2021. 

2.  Features and benefits of the service 

Table 2.1 

Characteristics of the business model 

Transport service 
Mode of transport 
Service provider(s)(operator)  Carlingford Lough Ferry 
Location 

Ferry Greenore - Greencastle 
Ferry 

Between port of Greenore (Country Louth), Ireland, 
and Greencastle (County Down, Northern Ireland), 
United Kingdom 

Date when the service started  Officially 21 June 2017, commencement of services on 

7 August 2017 

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SERVICES AND LEGAL OBSTACLES 

Figure 2.1  Location of ferry service in Carlingford Loch 

2.1.  Geographic context and scope of the service 

Located  midway  between  Dublin  and  Belfast,  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  between 
Greenore  (IRL)  in  County  Louth  and  Greencastle  (UK)  connects  the  Cooley  Peninsula 
at the beginning of Ireland’s Ancient East in the Republic of Ireland with the majestic 
Mountains  of  Mourne  in  County  Down,  the  gateway  to  Northern  Ireland.  Carlingford 
Lough  is  a  glacier  fjord,  connecting  the  port  of  Warrenpoint  (UK)  with  the  open  sea. 
Today,  the  border  between  the  Republic  of  Ireland  and  Northern  Ireland  is  in  the 
middle  of  the  lough.  On  the  Irish  shore,  Greenore  is  the  only  deep-water  cargo  port 
along this lough. In 2005 Greenore was Irelands’ 10th largest port in terms of tonnage 
with 649,000 tonnes of goods handled. 

Greenore  village  is  connected  to  Dundalk  via  the  R173  regional  road  which  bypasses 
the Eagles Rock mountains to the south. On the other side of the lough, Greencastle is 
connected  via  local  roads  to  Kilkeel  on  the  A2  road  which  is  the  scenic  coastal  main 
road from Warrenpoint up to Belfast. 

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SERVICES AND LEGAL OBSTACLES 

Before inauguration of the ferry connection, there was no means for cars, pedestrians 
or cyclists to cross Carlingford Lough or the Newry River south of Newry (Figure 2.1), 
even though cars are the main means of transport in the area1. 

After  some  delays,  the  ferry  service  commenced  commercial  operations  with  its  first 
sailing  on  21  June  2017.  The  service  dates  back  to  earlier  passenger  ferries  in  the 
mid-1990ies  as  well  as  ferry  connections  in  the  medieval  ages,  however,  this  is  the 
first  car  ferry  (NiferrySite,  2021).  There  were  several  pre-feasibility  and  feasibility 
studies2,  all  of  which  concluded  that  a  car  ferry  between  Greenore  and  Greencastle 
would  be  technically  and  financially  feasible.  The  ferry  is  close  to  the  mouth  of  the 
lough. 

The  timetable  distinguishes  between  high  and  low  season.  The  months  of  June,  July 
and  August  are  high  season,  the  other  months  are  low  season.  During  high  season, 
the  ferry  service  operates  hourly  every  day  of  the  week  from  09:00  until  20:00. 
During  low  season,  the  ferry  operates  only  on  weekends  with  hourly  services  from 
10:00  until  19:00.  The  service  is  closed  on  Christmas  Day.  The  sailing  time  is  about 
15 minutes. As there are no other public transport  services in the area on  either the 
English or Irish side, the ferry service is a stand-alone, non-integrated service. 

2.2.  Demand for and benefits of the service 

Greenore is on the Cooley Peninsula which has about 9,000 inhabitants with some 59 
inhabitants  per  square  kilometre.  There  are  only  three  settlements  along  the  lough, 
the towns of Carlingford and Greenore and the village of Omeath. Greenore has about 
1,000  inhabitants.  The  peninsula  is  primarily  agricultural  with  some  hotels  and  bed-
and-breakfasts. There is also the first new distillery in Ireland in decades, the Cooley 
Distillery on the site of a former potato alcohol factory, as well as several warehouse 
and  logistics  facilities,  a  garden  centre,  two  cafes  and  other  businesses  (Wikipedia, 
2021a). 

Greencastle  is  on  the  northern  shore  in  County  Down  and  is  administratively 
connected to Kilkeel South with about 3,200 inhabitants. The entire county has about 
454,000 inhabitants and covers about 2,465 km2, resulting in a population density of 
184 inhabitants/km2. 25%  of the agricultural land is used for arable farming (barley, 
potatoes, vegetables), 75% for livestock farming (cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep). Fishing 
is  practised  along  the  coast  and  several  important  seaside  resorts  are  located  there. 
The  main  industries  of  engineering,  electronics,  computers,  and  textiles  are 
concentrated  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county  around  Belfast.  There  are  higher 
elevations in the south with the Mourne Mountains and in central Down with the Slieve 
Croob (Wikipedia, 2021b). Greencastle's main tourist attraction is the castle ruins high 
above the town. A little further south on the coast are  campsites and holiday resorts 
attracting vacationers from both sides of the border. 

Both  sides  of  the  lough  are  structurally  disadvantaged.  Apart  from  few  schools  and 
shops,  there  are  no  services-of-general-interest  (SGIs).  Residents  have  to  travel  to 
Dundalk,  Newry,  or  Newcastle  to  visit  banks,  doctors,  pharmacies,  hospitals  and 
cinemas. 

Against this background, it is not surprising that the main target group for the ferry is 
tourists.  Tourist  agencies  agree  that  the  Carlingford  Lough  area  has  significant 
unrealised  tourism  potentials.  These  should  improve  with  the  cross-border  ferry  and 
other tourism infrastructure as well as joint marketing by Failte Ireland (FI), Northern 
Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) and Tourism Ireland. Together  with the planned Narrow 
Water  Bridge  north  of  Warrenpoint3,  the  ferry  connection  would  enable  tourists  and 

1 According to the DIT ‘Carlingford Visitor Survey 2011’, the share of cars is about 88%. 
2 Carlingford Lough Ferry Feasibility Study (Blackwell, 1993); Carlingford Lough Car Ferry Business Plan (Falconer Stewart 

and Shannon Ferry Limited, 2000); Campbell Conway Consulting (2005; study supported by EU INTERREG IIIA 
Programme for Ireland/Northern Ireland). 

3 The plans for this bridge, which were advanced with Interreg funds, reached planning status on both sides of the border in 
October 2012 (McCloughan, 2012), but further realisation was interrupted in July 2013 because the first offers from 
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SERVICES AND LEGAL OBSTACLES 

day  trippers  a  trip  of  35  miles  around  Carlingford  Lough.  These  may  also  visit 
Greencastle,  the  Mourne  Mountains,  or  the  seaside  resorts  on  the  Northern  Ireland 
coast. However, tourists from other countries do not seem to be a priority, as the ferry 
company's website is only available in English. 

Apart from tourists and day-trippers, some special target groups are addressed by 
the ferry service: 

•  Schools and pupils: There are special ticket offers with school tour packages 
including  visits  to  Greenore  Museum  and  a  guided  tour  of  the  lough  and 
surrounding area. 

•  Wedding  groups:  Special  wedding  transfer  package  includes  free  travel  for 

bride and groom. 

•  Discount group rates for example for cyclists. 
•  Special target groups: pedestrians, golfers, vintage car groups and others. 
•  Residents:  These  are  attracted  by  cheap  10-trip  tickets,  which  are  a  sound 
basis  for  the  ferry  service.  Demand  for  these  tickets  comes  from  a  radius  of 
about 40 to 45 km. 

The ferry can carry cars, coaches, caravans, campervans, and motorbikes. 

There are several benefits: 

•  The  ferry  service  takes  15  minutes  rather  than  a  35-mile  car  journey  of  90 

minutes. 

•  Tourists, vacationers, and locals can cross the lough directly and thus continue 

their journey along the coastal route. 

•  The ferry improves access to SGIs on both sides of the lough. 
•  Finally,  the  ferry  service  creates  up  to  25  direct  jobs  with  another  300 
indirect  jobs  through  a  ‘boost  of  tourism’  in  the  area  with  an  estimated  EUR 
10  million  additional  annual  spend  in  the  region  (PMCA  Economic  Consulting, 
2012). 

The ferry is expected to act as a  catalyst  for economic  development in the South 
Down/North  Louth  region  by  stimulating  economic  growth  in  a  range  of  sectors, 
including tourism (Newry Times, 2017). 

Over  the  years  awareness  for  the  ferry  service  increased  in  the  Carlingford  Lough 
region,  in  entire  Republic  of  Ireland  and  in  Northern  Ireland,  resulting  in  steadily 
increasing  number  of  passengers  and  tourists  alike.4  In  November  2018,  the  ferry 
reported  32,500  passenger  trips  across  the  Lough  in  August  and  12,000  passenger 
journeys  in  October  2018  after  end  of  the  tourist  season  (The  Argus,  2018). 
Comparing  2018  and  2019  figures  (the  first  two  full  years  of  operation),  passenger 
numbers  increased  by  21%  in  2019  compared  to  2018,  but  due  to  Brexit  and  Covid 
the  numbers  dropped  by  42.5%  in  2021  (compared  to  2019).  To  date,  Carlingford 
Lough  Ferry  has  carried  almost  600,000  people  across  the  lough  since  its 
inauguration.  

Apart  from  tourists,  the  ferry  has  seen  an  increase  number  of  commuters  using  the 
ferry  to  get  to  work,  whether  it  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  Lough  or  further  afield  in 
Dundalk  or  Dublin.  Also,  commercial  vehicles  of  fish  companies  or  hauliers  carrying 
stones from the quarries make increasing use of the ferry. 

2.3.  Governance 

From  its  beginning,  the  planning,  implementation,  and  provision  of  the  ferry  service 
has been an entirely private sector funded initiative of Irish Frazer Ferries Limited 
(trading as ‘Carlingford Lough Ferries’) which has invested about £7-10 million to plan 

construction companies were far above the expected and available budget (BBC, 2013), leading to a poor cost/benefit-
ratio. 

4 Dundalk Tourist Office reported a rush of tourist enquiries after opening of the Carlingford Lough Ferry (The Argus, 2017), 
adding further growth to the positive development over the last years. Since 2010, County Louth´s tourism industry has 
seen considerable growth with 85,000 more visitors in 2017 compared to 2010. More recent figures on tourism 
development for County Louth however are not yet available from statistics. 

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SERVICES AND LEGAL OBSTACLES 

and  implement  the  ferry  service5.  Frazer  Ferries  Ltd  is  owned  by  three  Irish  families 
from  Clare  and  Limerick  with  more  than  40  years'  experience  in  the  industry, 
operating  ferries  on  the  Shannon  river  and  elsewhere  in  Ireland.  Carlingford  Lough 
Ferry is the sole provider and operator of the ferry link. 

80%  of  investment  costs  came  from  the  Carlingford  Lough  Ferries,  20%  via  a  loan 
from private investors. 

The  ferry  is  operating  under  market  conditions  since  June  2017.  Due  to  a  lack  of 
other public transport services in the region, the ferry is the sole PT service and thus 
not  integrated  into  other  services.  However,  special  school  tickets  are  offered 
which include entrance in Greenore Railway Museum. 

On the Irish side, Carlingford Lough Ferry has rented space from Greenore Port Ltd to 
construct  a  car  park,  as  well  as  a  jetty  and  slipway.  On  the  Greencastle  side, 
Carlingford Lough Ferry purchased some land to build terminal infrastructure on the 
Northern  shore.  Construction  works  on  both  sides  of  the  lough,  as  well  as  the  ferry 
operations  in  the  sea  required  to  obtain  terrestrial  and  maritime  approval  from 
regional  authorities  and  national  bodies  in  Dublin  and  Belfast6,  among  them  district 
councils, the Department of Environment of the Republic of Ireland, the Road Service 
of Northern Ireland, and the Planning Service of Northern Ireland7. 

The  project  for  this  cross-border  ferry  connection  received  support  from  the  highest 
regional  political  authorities.  In  March  2011,  a  Memorandum  of  Understanding 
(MoU)  was  signed  in  Brussels  between  Louth  County  Council  and  Newry  &  Mourne 
District  Council  on  increased  cross-border  collaboration  to  promote  the  economic 
development and competitiveness of the region (Newry and Mourne District Council & 
Louth  Local  Authorities,  2011;  Newry  Times,  2012).  The  new  ferry  connection 
addressed  two  cooperation  themes  identified  in  this  MoU,  fostering  ‘tourism  and 
recreation’  and  ‘sustainable  economic  growth  and  job  creation’.  Also,  tourist 
boards strongly promoted the project. Since Mourne had been selected as a signature 
project  by  the  NITB,  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  received  letters  of  support  by  the 
NITB,  Tourism  Ireland  and  FI.  Similar  supporting  letters  were  issued  by  Kilkeel  and 
Warrenpoint Chambers of Commerce, Kilkeel Development Association, and the Kilkeel 
Tourist Office. 

The ferry operates under the Athens Convention as of 1974 relating to the carriage of 
passengers and their luggage by sea (International Maritime Organization, 2021). 

2.4.  Operational provisions 

The two-ship service is provided by two double-end vessels Frazer Aisling Gabrielle 
and Frazer Mariner (NiferrySite, 2019) with a capacity of up to 44 cars each (Figure ). 
The  crossing  time  is  15  to  20  minutes,  resulting  in  a  maximum  waiting  time  for 
boarding  of  about  20  minutes  (Newry  Times,  2017).  In  high  season  ferries  operate 
throughout  the  entire  week,  but  only  on  weekends  in  low  season,  resulting  in  a 
significantly  lower  accessibility  of  the  region.  In  exceptional  circumstances,  ferry 
services are interrupted for safety reasons due to strong winds or dense fog. 

One-way  ticket  prices  range  from  EUR  2.5  for  foot  passengers,  cyclists,  and 
motorcyclists  up  to  EUR  27  for  coaches  and  minibuses  including  passengers 
(Carlingford Lough Ferry, 2021a). Up to 10% discount is available for online booking. 
Cheaper multi-trip tickets (with 4, 10 or 50 trips) are also available with special prices 
for  specific  vehicles  (e.g.,  commercial  vehicles,  campervans,  motorhomes,  towing 

5 The money was spent to develop the necessary terminal infrastructures as well as to acquire the vessels. 
6 In the Republic of Ireland there is a fixed six-month period for a final decision of the appeal body, there is no such deadline 
in Northern Ireland. A case was brought before the appeal body in Belfast. The duration of the hearing was incalculable; 
eventually it turned out that the objections were groundless. 

7 Planning documents were submitted to the authorities in June 2013 (Newry Time, 2013) and approved in early 2015 
(Campbell, 2015). The last approval was received in September 2016 from the Road Service of Northern Ireland 
regarding improvement of the hinterland road. 

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SERVICES AND LEGAL OBSTACLES 

caravans, trailers, and tractors). Travellers can pay either in Euro or British Pound, but 
prices in Pounds are slightly higher. 

There are three options how to  buy a ticket. First, tickets can be purchased directly 
at  the  two  ferry  ports  and  on  the  vessels,  respectively.  Second,  tickets  can  be 
purchased online on the Carlingford Lough Ferry website. And finally, tourists can book 
special  tours  at  tourist  offices  (such  as  the  Taste  of  Cooley  or  Cúchulainn’s  Country 
tours, DiscoverIreland, 2021), which also include a ferry crossing in the ticket price. 

Ticket prices are set in Euro and then converted to Sterling at a set exchange rate. All 
financial reporting is done in Euro. 

Actual  information  on  ferry  operations  is  published  online  on  the  website8  and  via 
media (newspaper, radio). Passengers can also sign up for a text service providing live 
information on all sailings. 

At the moment it is not necessary to carry a visa or passport to board the vessel. 

Both terminals provide dedicated areas for vehicles to wait, toilets, waiting areas for 
foot passengers and takeaway café services. 

Figure 2.2  The two double-end ferries 

Source: Carlingford Lough Ferry, 2021b 

The  main  source  of  revenue  is  ticket  sales.  In  addition,  the  mobile  takeaway  café 
generates  some  turnover.  Significant  additional  revenues  are  from  specialist 
passenger  sightseeing  cruises  on  Carlingford  Lough  throughout  the  summer. 
Cruises  of  up  to  2.5  hours  are  offered  to  visitors  including  the  Sunset  Cruise,  the 
Lough & Lighthouse Cruise, the Lough Summer Gin Cruise, and the Oyster & Guinness 
Cruise. Visitors can enjoy the picturesque landscape with live music, dancing, eating, 
and expert lectures on the lough and the surrounding scenic beauty. About 30 cruises 
are offered per year. 

As  both  ferries  anchor  overnight  on  the  Northern  Ireland  side,  most  staff  are 
Northern Irish, although the ferry company is based in the Republic of Ireland. 

3.  Obstacles and solutions 

Carlingford Lough is a natural barrier for ages and before the ferry service there was 
no  option  to  cross  the  Newry  River  and  the  lough  south  of  the  city  of  Newry.  As  a 
result, the Cooley Peninsula in the Republic of Ireland and its counterpart in Northern 
Ireland  were  isolated,  peripheral  areas,  and  crossing  the  lough  required  a  detour  of 
about 35 miles. 

8 https://carlingfordferry.com/sailing-status/ 

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Some  challenges  had  to  be  overcome  in  the  planning  phase,  which  started  in  2007. 
First, port infrastructures had to be created on both sides of the lough. Apart from 
technical issues (slipways, jetty, electric equipment), this mainly concerned the choice 
of  location  for  the  ferry  piers.  Constructing  the  port  infrastructure  required 
permissions (terrestrial and maritime) from authorities in the Republic of Ireland as 
well as in Northern Ireland. In Greencastle, a new navigation channel to the port was 
established and secured with navigation lights and buoys (Hydrosphere, 2018). 

On  the  Northern  Ireland  side,  the  project  met  with  considerable  resistance  from  a 
group of local residents who organised themselves in the ‘Greencastle area residence 
group’ (GARG). They argued that the new port infrastructure and the increased traffic 
would  negatively  impact  the  quality  of  life  and  natural  environment  in  the  area.  To 
address  these  objections,  environmental  and  economic  feasibility  studies  were 
conducted  during  the  planning  process.  In  Greencastle,  citizen  surveys  were  also 
carried out to find out the attitudes of the general public towards the ferry connection. 

However, fears of an increase in tourism were not unfounded, because due to the low 
demand for a ferry service by locals (very low population density; absence of cross-
border labour market), the ferry service targeted tourists from the beginning. 

Although a private initiative, Carlingford Lough Ferry had hoped to receive some public 
support9  as  the  ferry  service,  while  removing  a  missing  link,  contributes  to  boost 
tourism  in  the  entire  region  and  thus  supports  regional  development.  This  hope  did 
not  come  true,  so  financing  had  to  be  secured  through  private  loans.  Another 
challenge is that demand is constantly developing, so  operational adjustments are 
necessary. Both Brexit and the Corona pandemic created great uncertainty and led to 
significant drops in demand for ferry crossings. 

Table 3.1  Overview of obstacles 

Obstacle 

Impact on 
service delivery 

Newry river 
and Carlingford 
Lough as 
natural barriers 

Original trigger 
for the ferry 
connection 

Impact on the 
cross-border 
region 
Very high; the 
lough prevents 
direct exchange 
and joint cross-
border activities 

Solution 
introduced / 
proposed 
Implementation 
of a car ferry 
service 

Finding 
suitable 
location and 
technical 
solutions for 
ferry port 
infrastructure 

Appropriate port 
infrastructures 
are technical 
prerequisites for 
the service. 
Available space 
in Greenore was 
limited, 
Greencastle 
lacked any port 
infrastructure 

No service 
without technical 
infrastructure 
such as jetties 
and slipways 

In Greenore, 
close discussions 
with port 
authority to find 
best place; in 
Greencastle a 
public 
participation 
process to find 
best solution 

Level of 
success of the 
solution 
Highly successful 
in high season 
with many 
passages; very 
little success in 
low season as 
ferries operate 
only on 
weekends 
High, at the end 
of the process 
suitable solutions 
were found in 
both ports  

9 Not necessarily in form of grants, but as loans. 

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 PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES IN CROSS-BORDER REGIONS – MAPPING OF EXISTING 
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Resistance 
from local 
groups 

Lack of 
acceptance and 
identification 
with the ferry 
service  

Prolonging the 
planning process 
and thus opening 
of the ferry, 
additional 
surveys, 
assessments, 
and 
investigations  

Financing 

Without private 
sector 
investment, the 
service would 
not exist, as no 
public support 
was granted 

Without the 
ferry, long 
detours would 
still have to be 
accepted, and 
tourist potential 
could not be 
exploited 

Intensive 
participation 
process with 
surveys, 
workshops, and 
community 
meetings. 
Increased 
involvement of 
other 
stakeholders 
such as tourism 
boards and 
chambers of 
commerce 

Most of the 
investment costs 
were borne by 
Carlingford 
Lough Ferry, with 
a portion 
supported by 
private sector 
loans 

Operational 
adjustments 

Low population 
density in 
border region 

Without 
adjustments, the 
quality of service 
would 
continuously 
decline and fall 
behind customer 
expectations, 
resulting in 
declining 
demand 
Low regional 
demand for ferry 
service 

Fewer ferry 
passengers mean 
fewer tourists 
and thus lower 
tourism revenues 
in the region 

There is no joint 
cross-border 
labour market, 
nor remarkable 
joint cross-
border activities 

The ferry 
company 
continuously 
optimises its 
processes, offers, 
prices and 
services to 
quickly respond 
to changing 
market 
conditions 
From the very 
beginning, the 
ferry service 
targeted tourists, 
plus specific 
target groups  

High (raising 
awareness, 
triggering 
discussions 
among different 
groups, finding 
best solutions) 

The funding 
model was 
suitable for the 
planning and 
implementation 
phase. However, 
the loans have to 
be paid, which 
requires high 
user numbers. 
Uncertainties due 
to Brexit and the 
Corona pandemic 
caused the latter 
to decline. 
To date, the 
company has 
continuously 
improved 
services to the 
full satisfaction 
of customers 

Quite successful 
in attracting 
tourists and 
specific target 
groups 

The  first  and  the  last  obstacles  are  interrelated.  Being  a  natural  barrier,  Carlingford 
Lough not only separates its northern from its southern shore, but also two different 
countries,  so  the  shore  areas  are  considered  in  their  national  contexts  as 
disconnected,  peripheral,  and  rural  areas  with  low  population  density.  The  remote 
location  has  in  turn  led  to  a  lack  of  economic  and  demographic  development,  with 
correspondingly  low  population  densities  and  low  general  demand  for  services  of  all 
kinds. 

Although not directly interrelated, financing solutions and operational adjustments will 
be grouped together in the following chapters as both are related to the management 
and operation of the ferry service. 

The other two obstacles (port location, resistance) are also interrelated, as the choice 
of port location and its technical implementation was a critical issue  raised by  GARG, 
which triggered intense participation processes to raise awareness and acceptance and 
to find the best technical solutions for the ferry service. 

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3.1.  Carlingford Lough as geographical specificity 

Carlingford Lough is first of all a major geographic obstacle. Together with the Newry 
River, it represents a 30-mile (about 48 km) barrier that cannot be crossed due to a 
lack of bridges. The lough was carved deep into the landscape during the last ice age, 
creating  charming  mountains  and  picturesque  coastlines  that  have  great  tourism 
potential,  as  the  various  summer  resorts  on  its  northern  shore  show.  Besides  its 
natural charm, the area also has a long history, with ruins of important buildings and 
museums on both sides of the border. 

The  lough  is  therefore  not  only  an  obstacle,  but  also  offers  potential.  Many  people 
from  the  Carlingford  Lough  area  commented  that  the  border  region  is  a  sleeping 
beauty that still needs to be kissed awake and the ferry connection may be the trigger 
for the kiss. 

3.1.1. 

Impact of the obstacle 

The lack of bridges severely hampers the movement of people and goods in the border 
regions,  and  thus  limits  the  accessibility  of  markets  and  services.  Before  the  ferry, 
locals had to take long detours to get from one side of the lough to the other. Besides 
inconvenience  and  long  travel  times  for  residents,  the  low  accessibility  also  led  to 
tangible disadvantages, such as: 

•  Under  exploitation  of  tourism  potential:  Poor  accessibility  leads  to  long 
travel  times  to  the  region,  and  major  accessibility  problems  within  the  border 
region. As a result, the undoubted tourism potential cannot be fully exploited. 
•  Low access to SGIs: Similarly, missing transport links in conjunction with low 
population density also negatively affect the existence and accessibility of SGIs 
for residents. Services across the lough cannot be reached. 

•  No  joint  cross-border  labour  market:  Cross-border  markets  could  not 
emerge for SGIs or labour. As a result, there is little economic potential in the 
region and no commuter flow. 

•  Peripheral  area,  disconnection  from  rest  of  country:  The  Carlingford 
Lough border region has been considered for a long time as a peripheral area, 
disconnected from the rest of the country with marginal development potential. 
•  Only  small  regional  demand  for  a  ferry  service:  The  generally  backward 
demographic and economic development means there is little local demand for 
a cross-border ferry service. 

3.1.2.  Solutions to overcome the obstacle 

Not  surprisingly,  plans  existed  for  decades  for  a  car  ferry  service.  Concrete  planning 
steps  for  such  a  ferry  date  back  to  2007,  when  several  technical  and  economic 
feasibility studies were commissioned. 

Two  solutions  were  developed  in  an  action  plan  (joint  strategy)  to  improve 
accessibility  of  this  border  region.  First,  a  ferry  service  between  Greenore  and 
Greencastle  close  to  the  mouth  of  Carlingford  Lough.  Second,  construction  of  the 
Narrow  Water  Bridge  north  of  Warrenpoint,  connecting  the  A2  Newry-Warrenpoint 
dual carriageway in Northern Ireland with the R173 road at Omeath in the Republic of 
Ireland (see Figure 2.1). The bridge should be a 280m cable-stayed bridge. As a result 
of  these  two  initiatives,  residents  and  tourists  could  make  round  trips  in  a  day, 
improving cross-border connectivity and helping to explore the natural potential of the 
region for tourism. While construction of the bridge was considered a public initiative, 
with Interreg support in the planning and economic assessment, the ferry connection 
has  always  been  a  private  endeavour,  with  private  money  spent  for  developing  all 
plans and assessment studies. 

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While  plans  for  construction  of  the  Narrow  Water  Bridge  were  put  on  hold  in  2013 10, 
the  ferry  service  has  been  developed.  From  the  very  beginning,  the  ferry  was 
targeting mainly tourists and, to a lesser degree, specific target groups such as pupils, 
cyclists, and others. This is reflected in the design of the timetables and fares. During 
implementation,  the  ferry  company  sought  and  received  support  from  tourist 
associations and  chambers  of commerce (lobbying  activities). This cooperation has 
lasted  until  today  and  can  be  seen,  for  example,  in  joint  marketing  activities 11.  In 
addition  to 
for  the  port 
infrastructure,  implementation  included  extensive  activities  for  citizen  participation  in 
form of roundtables with relevant players and the public (see Chapter 3.2). 

feasibility  studies  and  detailed  technical  planning 

At the end of June 2021, new impetus was given to the Narrow Water Bridge when the 
Irish  Government  made  EUR  3  million  available  for  further  planning  with  a  view  to 
allocate more money from the Shares Island Fund12 once final construction costs were 
determined  properly.  A  subgroup  of  the  North-South  Infrastructure  Group,  including 
Louth  County  and  Newry,  Mourne  and  Down  District  councils,  will  oversee 
development  and  delivery  of  the  project.  It  is  hoped  that  construction  of  the  bridge 
will begin in 2023 with funds from Northern Irelands Executive, the Irish government, 
and  the  European  Union.  Like  the  ferry,  the  bridge  will  open  up  the  cross-border 
region and make it easier for residents, businesses and visitors to traverse the area in 
a circular route, promoting economic and demographic development and job creation. 
Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  company  welcomes  the  construction  of  the  Narrow  Water 
Bridge since this attracts even more tourists. 

However, for residents, the situation in summer 2021 is still ambivalent: 

In the high season, there is an attractive ferry connection with many daily departures 
in both directions, resulting in high accessibility. In the nine-month low season though 
accessibility  drops  significantly,  as  the  ferries  only  operate  on  weekends.  While  this 
situation is quite  satisfactory  for tourists, for residents this is limited.  Hopes are that 
with  the  bridge  and  thus  the  full  implementation  of  the  action  plan,  a  complete 
connectivity  of  this  border  region  will  bring  incentives  for  regional  development  and 
‘awakes the sleeping beauty’. Residents had hoped for a better coordination of the 
infrastructure planning. 

3.2.  Public participation and optimal technical solutions 

The  biggest  challenge  for  introduction  of  a  ferry  service  between  Greenore  and 
Greencastle was a lack of port infrastructures required for ferry operations. Besides 
jetties and slipways, ferry operations require parking spaces to accommodate up to 50 
vehicles,  a  ticket  office  (including  restrooms  for  the  clerks),  toilet  and  refreshment 
facilities, and public resting areas13. 

Greenore already had a deep-water harbour, but it was difficult to find a suitable site 
for  the  ferry  terminal.  Various  options  were  explored  and  after  negotiations  with  the 
port authority, a site was found in the north-eastern corner of the port area (Figure ). 
Access and the harbour's boundary fences needed upgrading. Carlingford Lough Ferry 
rented the area from Greenore port authority on a long-term basis. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  lough,  there  were  no  port  facilities  in  Greencastle,  just  an 
extensive  sandy  beach.  Several  options  were  explored  to  find  the  best  location  for  a 
ferry  terminal.  The  search  was  complicated  by  the  fact  that  offshore  sandbanks  and 

10 The planning for this bridge is already very advanced. However, the first offers for construction were far above the 

available budget. 

11 Creating a win-win- for all partners. 
12 The Shared Island Fund, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement, was set up to foster new investments and 

development opportunities on a North/South basis and support the delivery of key cross-border infrastructure with a 
budget of EUR 500 million made available until 2025 by the Government of the Republic of Ireland (Department of the 
Taoiseach, 2020). 

13 As there were no (possibly incompatible) technical infrastructures for ferry operations that had to be taken into account in 

the planning, the best possible (technical) solutions could be identified. 

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local  fishermen  anchorages  narrow  the  potential  channel  for  the  ferry.  In  the  end, 
parts of the sandy beach had to be sacrificed for the terminal. 

In Greencastle, the technical questions about the location, size and design of the ferry 
terminal gave rise to further fundamental questions of public participation, such 
as  the  connection  to  the  road  network.  Doubts  included  whether  the  existing  local 
Greencastle  Pier  Road  could  cope  with  the  expected  increase  in  traffic,  visual 
disfigurement of the coastline and thus the loss of attractiveness for tourists, and even 
the  meaningfulness  of  the  project  with  effects  on  jobs  and  the  economy.  GARG  had 
objected  to  plans  for  a  ferry  service  for  two  decades  (The  Irish  News,  2016).  They 
argued  that  the  unspoilt  coastline  with  a  rich  variety  of  landscape  and  high  scenic 
qualities  could  be  damaged  by  building  a  ferry  terminal  so  regional  assets  -  also 
valuable for tourism - could be destroyed. 

Figure 3.1  Port areas of Greenore and Greencastle ferry terminals 

3.2.1. 

Impact of the obstacle 

The main consequence of these obstacles was a lengthy planning process. This started 
in  2007,  so  took  almost  10  years.  Finding  solutions  for  the  technical  challenges,  the 
extensive  public  participation  and  approval  procedures  in  Northern  Ireland  and  the 
Republic of Ireland contributed equally to the delays. 

During  this  time,  the  region  remained  remote  and  economically  backward,  unable  to 
develop  its  tourism  potential.  As  a  consequence,  the  impacts  already  described  in 
Chapter 3.1.1 (under exploitation of tourism potential, low access to SGIs, inability to 
form  a  common  cross-border  labour  market,  disconnection,  small  regional  demand) 
remained. 

3.2.2.  Solutions to overcome the obstacle  

Carlingford  Lough  Ferry,  as  the  promoter,  investor  and  future  operator  of  the  ferry 
made  strong  efforts  to  remove  the  obstacles.  A  distinction  must  be  made  between 
technical issues and public participation. 

Regarding  the  technical  issues  (i.e.,  terminal  locations  and  infrastructure), 
Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  conducted  intense  negotiations  with  local  actors  to  find 
suitable  locations  for  the  two  ferry  terminals.  During  the  negotiations,  the  investor 

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examined various locations for the terminals on both sides of the lough with different 
technical solutions. Suggestions from local stakeholders including residents were taken 
up  as  far  as  reasonable  and  possible.  For  example,  in  Greenore  different  potential 
locations for the ferry terminal were carefully examined (among them, ‘the Cuttings’, 
Greenore  Point  within  Greenore  Port,  an  area  further  inside  the  port,  and  an  area 
behind  the  Panpak  factory)  and  discussed  with  Greenore  Port  Ltd.  and  local 
stakeholders.  Greenore  Point  was  viable  from  both  an  engineering  and  maritime 
perspective.  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  rented  this  area  from  Greenore  Port  Ltd  on  a 
long-term agreement. In Greencastle, similar attempts were necessary to find the best 
terminal  location.  However,  environmental  issues  and  concerns  of  local  fishermen 
about their future anchorages were challenges. Carlingford Lough Ferry agreed a route 
for the ferries that would allow the fishermen to keep their traditional anchorages. In 
addition, expansion of the hinterland road connection was envisaged. 

This  process  took  from  2007  through  2011,  where  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  was 
primarily engaged in engineering, financial and navigational due diligence (O’Sullivan, 
2013).  Earlier  attempts  to  develop  a  ferry  connection  such  as  the  Blackwell  Report 
(1993),  Ferguson  McIlveen  Scoping  Study  (1997),  PWC  Report  (1998),  Falconer 
Stewart  Appraisal  (2000)  and  Campbell  Conway  Business  Case  Analysis  (2005)  were 
taken  into  account  in  this  process.  Further  studies  were  carried  out  in  response  to 
demands  from  different  actors  in  the  participation  phase.  These  included  an 
Environmental  Impact  Assessment  (starting  in  September  2011)14,  as  well  as  an 
independent  Economic  Impact  Appraisal15.  Altogether,  these  studies  helped  to 
analyse framework conditions and to monitor recent developments. 

In  terms  of  public  participation,  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  was  exemplary  in  its 
approach.  Every  step  was  documented  in  detail  and  discussed  with  stakeholders. 
Cornerstones of the public participation process were: 

•  Briefings:  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  briefed  stakeholders  from  different 
departments  and  councils  from  both  sides  of  the  border  regularly.  As  part  of 
these  briefings,  factsheets  presenting  relevant  activities  have  been 
produced and circulated. 

•  Consultation  with  residents,  individuals  and  social  groups:  Carlingford 
Lough  Ferry  conducted  a  series  of  open  evenings  with  residents,  individuals 
and specific residence  groups (such  as GARG) in Greenore and Greencastle to 
present and discuss the latest planning stage and answer questions. 

•  Political/stakeholder  engagement:  Formal  meetings  with  stakeholders16 
were  held  regularly  to  exchange  information,  promote  the  initiative,  and 
increase ownership. 

•  Survey: Two types of surveys had been conducted: 

o  A  formal  and  independent  door-to-door  survey  was  conducted  among 
Greencastle residents for their general views towards the car ferry. Each 
household  on  the  local  electoral  register  and  a  number  of  additional 
households  were  visited  between  1-3  times  or  sent  postal  versions  of 
the  survey.  The  contents  and  scope  of  the  survey  were  discussed  and 
agreed with GARG. Survey results were used to ascertain general public 
opinion  on  the  project  including  positive  aspects  and  concerns  of  local 
residents. 
In  2011,  over  3,200  face  to  face  interviews  were  conducted  with 
members of the public at eight locations in Co. Down and Co. Louth. 

o 

•  Newsletter:  These  informed  residents  about  the  planning  status,  including 
drawings  of  piers  and  jetties,  with  announcements  and  invitations  for 
forthcoming events. 

14 To investigate potential impacts on ecology, water, air, heritage, human beings, seals, birds, bats etc. 
15 Conducted by PMCA Economic Consulting to investigate potential impacts on employment and local spending. 
16 For example, meetings with Councillor, Council official, MLA, MP and Ministerial level, the Greencastle Community 

Development Ltd, Greencastle Boat Club, Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), Kilkeel Chamber of Commerce, Kilkeel 
Development Association, Kilkeel Tourist Office, Warrenpoint Chamber of Commerce.  

17 

 
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•  Letters  to  local  and  national  newspapers:  The  promoters  published  open 
letters  to  newspapers  informing  the  public  about  the  planning  status  and 
announcing forthcoming information events. 

•  E-Mail correspondence: continuous email correspondence with GARG to keep 
residents  informed  and  jointly  organise  and  prepare  further  meetings  and 
events. 

Also, Carlingford Lough Ferry, together with tourism agencies, commissioned the ‘Visit 
Carlingford-Mourns’  iPhone  App  as  an  important  tool  for  promoting  tourism  on  both 
sides  of  the  lough  (information  and  marketing  tool).  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry 
thereby  demonstrated  the  seriousness  of  its  intention  and  its  commitment  to  the 
region. 

Despite all these activities, some 230 objections to the  project were filed in Northern 
Ireland.  Most  political  stakeholders  stated  that  the  project  should  consider  the 
opinions of residents, to maximise benefits for community. 

Eventually  the  promoters  welcomed  the  feedback  from  the  participation  process  and 
confirmed  the  project  had  changed  significantly  taking  into  account  the  views  and 
concerns of local residents and other stakeholders. 

3.3.  Financing and operational adjustments 

Transport  is  one  of  the  cooperation  areas  of  the  North/South  Ministerial  Council 
(NSMC)  established  as  part  of  the  Good  Friday  Agreement  signed  on  10  April  1998 
between  the  governments  of  the  Republic  of  Ireland,  United  Kingdom  and  Northern 
Ireland  (United  Nations,  1998;  North  South  Ministerial  Council,  2021).  Carlingford 
Lough Ferry  requested funding in form of grants or loans from the  NSMC but did not 
get  approval  primarily  because  the  ferry  company  is  a  privately  funded  company.  A 
similar attempt to request Brexit Loan funding was also denied17. 

Therefore,  a  private-sector  financing  solution  was  found,  in  which  80%  of  the 
investment  costs  were  borne  by  the  company  itself  and  20%  by  external,  private 
lenders. 

The  definition  of  the  business  plan  with  a  focus  on  tourism  was  subject  to 
uncertainties,  as  demand  and  its  dynamic  (over  the  day,  the  week,  the  year)  was 
difficult  to  estimate.  It  quickly  became  apparent  in  2017/2018  that  the  initial 
timetables,  ticket  prices,  services  and  business  plans  did  not  fully  meet  demand. 
Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  was  forced  to  think  about  adjustments  to  its  business  model 
at an early stage.  

3.3.1. 

Impact of the obstacle 

Parts  of  the  revenues  must  be  used  for  ongoing  loan  repayments.  This  was  not  a 
problem  while  demand  rose  but  is  a  heavy  burden  in  view  of  declining  passenger 
numbers because of Brexit and the pandemic. In spite of travel restrictions caused by 
Covid,  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  has  not  received  any  financial  assistance  of  any 
description from public authorities. 

Also, the initial business model turned out to need further improvements, such as: 

•  Timetables: Initially, early morning (6 a.m., 7 a.m.) and late evening (e.g., 9 
p.m.) crossings were offered, but these generated little demands. Adjustments 
were made and unprofitable courses were cancelled. 

•  Workforce:  At  the  beginning,  there  was  high  staff  turnover,  but  this  has 

stabilised. 

17 The reason for this denial was that the ferry company “could not demonstrate sufficient repayment capacity”; however, 
the irony is that if the company could have demonstrated this repayment capacity, it would not have needed such 
funding. 

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•  Mechanical  problems:  In  the  beginning,  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  faced 
serious problems with failure of the vessels and thus cancelled crossings. As a 
result,  the  reputation  of  the  company  was  seriously  questioned.  A  lot  of 
additional  investments  were  needed  to  get  these  technical  problems  under 
control. 

•  Marketing:  As  the  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  was  a  completely  new  service, 
most of the tourists were unaware of the ferry service. Initial marketing efforts 
were  obviously  too  small  to  generate  much  awareness,  so  passenger  demand 
developed slowly. 

•  Ticket  inspection:  Ticket  issuing  and  inspection  equipment  on  the  ferries 
requires  a  permanent  internet  connection.  As  Carlingford  Lough  is  a  state 
border,  mobile  phone  coverage  tends  to  be  poor  in  the  middle  of  the  lough, 
resulting in disconnections so tickets could neither be issued nor validated. 
•  Ticket  prices:  Prices  must  be  quoted  in  Euros  and  British  Pounds,  and 
payments accepted in  both currencies, requiring additional efforts and specific 
technical solutions. 

3.3.2.  Solutions to overcome the obstacle 

Although  the  problems  were  very  different,  all  solutions  involved  Carlingford  Lough 
Ferry implementing continuous monitoring and operational adjustments. 

A  ferry  service  provider  must  be  ready  for  operational  adjustments  at  any  time, 
since  market  conditions,  demand,  and  external  factors  such  as  Brexit  and  the 
pandemic may affect ferry operations at any time. Different adjustments have already 
been introduced: 

Upgrades  to  the  engines  and  ramps  have  made  it  easier  for  vehicles  to  embark  and 
disembark  (The  Argus,  2018).  Crossings  at  off-peak  times  were  abolished.  A 
marketing  director  was  hired  and  an  agreement  with  tourist  boards  signed  to  raise 
awareness  and  spread  word  of  mouth.  Wi-Fi  solutions  have  been  installed  to  ensure 
internet connectivity during the whole passage. For the ticket prices and payments in 
two  currencies,  agreements  with  two  dedicated  payment  service  providers  were 
signed:  Stripe  takes  care  for  the  online  sales  processes,  while  the  Bank  of  Ireland 
provides  solutions  for  card  payments  on  board  via  mobile  hand  held  card  payment 
terminals. 

The  continuous  monitoring  activities  cover  traffic  numbers,  demand  development, 
ticket prices, timetables, and workforce satisfaction. 

The  ferry  company  has  a  standstill  agreement  with  the  lenders,  which,  however,  has 
to be renegotiated on an ongoing basis. Although demand has steadily increased again 
in recent weeks and months, this increase is below expectations of the lenders. 

4.  Conclusions and lessons learnt 

Introduction of the cross-border car ferry between Greenore and Greencastle involved 
a long planning phase. Initial studies were carried out in the 1990s, with recurrent 
studies  in  all  subsequent  decades.  Many  studies  have  been  carried  out  for  a  purely 
private-sector  project  (probably  more  than  private  investors  would  normally 
undertake). This was, however, definitely in the public interest as support from tourist 
agencies, chambers of commerce and high-level politicians has shown. 

This  highlights  that  promoters  of  cross-border  public  transport  services  should  have 
long-term aspirations, great power of endurance and not be discouraged if there 
is no immediate success. 

The approach of Carlingford Lough Ferry is exemplary in two dimensions: 

19 

 PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES IN CROSS-BORDER REGIONS – MAPPING OF EXISTING 
SERVICES AND LEGAL OBSTACLES 

• 

Instead  of  pushing  the  first  technical  solution,  other  solutions  were 
intensively  analysed  in  both  ports  and  discussed  with  local  actors  to  achieve 
the best result. 

•  The  scope,  duration  and  manner  of  public  participation  was  intense  and 
comprehensive.  An  exemplary  attempt  was  made  to  involve  all  social  groups, 
actors,  stakeholders  and  institutions  at  an  early  stage  through  various 
channels. This approach was intended to: 

o  gather information, 
o  conduct a needs assessment, 
o  give room for mutual exchange and discussions, 
o 
o  calm legitimate worries, 
o 
o 

increase ownership among residents, 
form a coalition with tourism associations in marketing. 

raise awareness about the potentials for a ferry connection, 

Despite  the  long  planning  phase  and  several  attempts  since  the  early  1990s  to 
establish  this  ferry  connection,  it  is  remarkable  that  this  private-sector  project  has 
been  realised,  while  the  public  Narrow  Water  Bridge  project  remains  at  the  planning 
stage. 

It  was  potentially  advantageous  not  to  link  the  two  projects  formally  so  at  least  one 
has  been  implemented.  Though  if  the  two  projects  had  been  extremely  closely 
interlinked  and  coordinated,  there  may  have  been  a  chance  to  implement  both 
already. 

Carlingford Lough Ferry management identified the following key success factors: 

•  Reliability: Customers expect a reliable ferry service. This includes adherence 
to the timetable as well as technical operability of the vessels and the services. 
Customers understand that services may be temporarily suspended due to bad 
weather, but not due to technical or mechanical problems with the vessels. 
•  Monitoring:  No  service  is  perfect  from  the  start.  Therefore,  ongoing 
monitoring  of  all  activities,  offers  and  services  is  necessary.  In  addition,  the 
markets and demand change over time requiring permanent review, adaptation 
and optimisation of the service. Providers must therefore introduce appropriate 
monitoring to identify any need for adaptation at an early stage. 

•  Cooperation:  After  a  slow  start  in  demand,  the  ferry  company  entered  into 
close cooperation with tourist boards on both sides of the lough. Through joint 
marketing and cooperation, awareness of the ferry service and the demand for 
ferry crossings could significantly increase (awareness raising). At the same 
time, awareness of the Mourne Mountains, just one attraction from the region, 
could be significantly increased in the Republic of Ireland. The cooperation thus 
created  a  win-win  for  the  ferry  and  the  tourist  boards  as  cooperation  should 
generate additional publicity and word of mouth for each other. However, a 
prerequisite for this was proactive action on the part of the Carlingford Lough 
Ferry company. Since the service is mainly tailored to tourists and the crossing 
is also seen as a tourist highlight, close cooperation with the tourist boards was 
an obvious choice. 

However,  the  implementation  of  the  ferry  also  has  disadvantages.  The  service 
focuses  very  much  on  tourists.  The  local  population  only  benefits  during  the  high 
season due to improved accessibility and connectivity. In contrast, in low season, the 
ferry  connection  makes  little  difference.  Furthermore,  locals  only  benefit  from  the 
direct  and  indirect  jobs  created.  There  is  still  little  impulse  for  regional  development. 
However, Carlingford Lough Ferry would be ready to quickly increase the frequency of 
its  services  even  in  low  season  as  soon  as  local  demand  increases.  So,  there  is  a 
vicious  circle  that  can  probably  only  be  broken  from  the  outside  with  further  political 
impetus. 

In  the  planning,  implementation,  and  operation  of  the  ferry  service  some  important 
tools for CBPT development have been applied which could serve as a model for other 
initiatives: 

20 

 
 PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES IN CROSS-BORDER REGIONS – MAPPING OF EXISTING 
SERVICES AND LEGAL OBSTACLES 

•  Collaboration between key actors and with the public in the planning phase 
including  networks  and  roundtables  with  relevant  players,  and  political 
support from local and regional players. 

•  Elaboration  of  a  joint  strategy  (action  plan)  for  improving  accessibility  of 

the border region and for initiating the CBPT, thereby 

•  Coordinating the infrastructure planning. 
•  Preparing  factsheets  on  relevant  activities,  analysis  of  framework 
conditions  and  monitoring  of  recent  and  ongoing  developments  in  the 
planning phase. 

•  Harmonisation of standards regarding physical infrastructures. 
•  Extensive  information  about  the  border  region  including  comprehensive 

information and marketing campaigns 

•  Making use of target-group oriented ticketing. 

Although  the  opening  of  the  ferry  connection  took  place  in  a  very  difficult  political 
environment  (Brexit,  Covid),  the  operators  are  positive  and  confident  that  they  will 
soon be able to achieve the similar growth rates in terms of passenger numbers as at 
the beginning of its operation in 2017/2018 (O’Sullivan, 2021). 

References 

Documents 

Argus,  The  (2017):  Tourists  flock  to  Louth  in  bumper  growth.  The  Argus,  September 
09, 2017. 

Argus,  The  (2018):  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  faces  into  second  winter  season.  The 
Argus, November 10, 2018. 

BBC News (2013): Narrow Water Bridge plan is put on hold. Northern Ireland News as 
of 9 July 2013. London: BBC. 

Campbell  Conway  Consulting  (2005):  Business  Case  Analysis  to  Support  the 
Introduction  of  a  Greenore-Greencastle  Ferry  Link.  Newry-Dundalk  Joint  Chamber 
Forum. Warrenpoint: CCC. 

McCloughan,  Pat  (2012):  Economic  Impact  Appraisal  of  Carlingford  Lough  Car  Ferry. 
Dublin: PMCA Economic Consulting. 

Newry and Mourne District Council and Louth Local Authorities (2011):  Memorandum 
of  Understanding  between  Newry  and  Mourne  District  Council  and  Louth  Local 
Authorities. Newry and Louth. 

O’Sullivan,  Paul  (2013):  Greencastle  to  Greenore  Ferry  Proposal.  Summary  of  the 
Consultation Process Undertaken. 

PMCA  Economic  Consulting  (2012):  Economic  Impact  Appraisal  of  Carlingford  Lough 
Car Ferry. Dublin. 

United  Nations  (1998):  Northern  Ireland  Peace  Agreement  (The  Good  Friday 
Agreement). 10/04/1998. New York: UN. 

Websites 

Campbell, A. (2015): Lough ferry gets green light in NI. The Argus, 3 February 2015. 
www.independent.ie/regionals/argus/news/lough-ferry-gets-green-light-in-ni-
30960581.html. Last visited 7 June 2021. Dublin: Independent House. 

Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  (2021a):  Buy  Tickets.  https://tickets.carlingfordferry.com/. 
Last visited 29 July 2021. 

21 

 PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES IN CROSS-BORDER REGIONS – MAPPING OF EXISTING 
SERVICES AND LEGAL OBSTACLES 

Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  (2021b):  Photo  gallery.  https://carlingfordferry.com/gallery/. 
Last visited 29 July 2021. 

Department 
Island. 
www.gov.ie/en/publication/de9fc-shared-island/. Last visited 12 August 2021. Dublin: 
Government of the Republic of Ireland. 

Taoiseach 

(2020): 

Shared 

the 

of 

DiscoverIreland 
Ferry. 
www.discoverireland.ie/louth/carlingford-lough-ferry. Last visited 14 September 2021. 
Dublin: Fáilte Ireland 

Carlingford 

(2021): 

Lough 

Hydrosphere  (2018):  Carlingford  Lough  –  Ensuring  Safe  Passage  for  New  Ferry 
Service.  http://hydrosphere.co.uk/carlingford-lough-ensuring-safe-passage-for-new-
ferry-service/. Last visited on 14 September 2021. Upper Froyle: Hydrosphere. 

of 

International  Maritime  Organization  (2021):  Athens  Convention  relating  to  the 
Carriage 
(PAL). 
www.imo.org/en/About/Conventions/Pages/Athens-Convention-relating-to-the-
Carriage-of-Passengers-and-their-Luggage-by-Sea-(PAL).aspx.  Last  visited  15  June 
2021. 

Passengers 

Luggage 

their 

Sea 

and 

by 

(2015): 

Louth 
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/argus/news/lough-ferry-gets-green-light-in-ni-
30960581.html. Published on 3 February 2015. Last visited on 12 August 2021.  

Lough 

green 

ferry 

light 

gets 

in 

NI. 

Newry  Times  (2012):  Newry  &  Mourne  Council  sign  memorandum  of  understanding 
with  Louth  authorities.  http://newrytimes.com/2012/04/02/newry-mourne-council-
sign-memorandum-of-understanding-with-louth-authorities/.  Last  visited  on  7  June 
2021.  

Newry Times (2013): Carlingford Lough ferry progresses to planning stage. News as of 
27 
http://newrytimes.com/2013/06/27/carlingford-lough-ferry-
progresses-to-planning-stage/. Last visited on 7 June 2021. 

2013. 

June 

its  maiden  voyage. 
Newry  Times  (2017):  Carlingford  Lough  Ferry  makes 
www.newry.ie/news/carlingford-lough-ferry-makes-it-s-maiden-voyage.  Last  visited 
on 15 June 2021. 

NiferrySite (2019): Frazer Mariner returns to Northern Ireland for two Ship Carlingford 
Ferry  Service.  www.niferry.co.uk/frazer-mariner-returns-to-northern-ireland-for-two-
ship-carlingford-ferry-service/. Last visited on 15 June 2021. 

(2021): 

NiferrySite 
delayed. 
www.niferry.co.uk/scenic-carlingford-ferry-service-launch-delayed/.  Last visited on 31 
May 2021. 

Scenic  Carlingford 

service 

launch 

Ferry 

South 

North 
Co-operation. 
https://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/areas-of-cooperation. Last visited  on 28 
September 2021. Armagh: NSMC Joint Secretariat 

Ministerial 

(2021): 

Council 

Areas 

of 

The Irish News (2016): Further hold-up to Greenore-Greencastle ferry after residents 
object.  www.irishnews.com/business/2016/01/26/news/further-hold-up-to-greenore-
greencastle-ferry-after-residents-object-395242/.  Article  as  of  26  January  2016.  Last 
visited on 12 August 2021.  

Wikipedia  (2021a):  Cooley  Peninsula.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooley_Peninsula. 
Last visited on 31 May 2021. 

Wikipedia  (2021b):  County  Down.  https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Down.  Last 
visited on 31 May 2021. 
Interviews 

Interviewee 
Paul O’Sullivan  Managing director of Carlingford Lough Ferry  13 August 2021 & 

Interview date 

Organisation 

27 September 2021 

22 

 
 
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