Belfast Car Ferries was an Irish Sea ferry company that operated a passenger and freight roll-on/roll-off service between Northern Ireland and England.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1982 |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Headquarters | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Products | Passenger transportation Freight transportation |
| Parent | 1982-1987: Irish Shipping Ltd 1987-1990: Irish Continental Group |
History
editBelfast Car Ferries was formed in 1982 following P&O Ferries' withdrawal from the Liverpool–Belfast route in November 1981.[1] Sailings commenced in May 1982[2] using the Saint Colum I. The vessel sailed every night from Belfast, returning during the day from Liverpool. The crossing time was 9 hours.
On 14 November 1984 the Irish Government placed parent company Irish Shipping Ltd into liquidation.[3] In March 1987 Irish Shipping Ltd was sold to a consortium of investors and restructured as Irish Continental Group.[4]
Belfast Car Ferries continued operations until October 1990. The Saint Colum I quickly found a new Greek owner and entered service in the Adriatic Sea.
In 1991 the Liverpool – Belfast link was reopened by Norse Irish Ferries.
Routes
editBelfast Car Ferries operated the following route across the Irish Sea
- Belfast (Donegall Quay) – Liverpool (Langton Dock)
Fleet
editDuring its eight years of operation the Belfast – Liverpool route was operated mainly by the Saint Colum I. Several vessels, including the Saint Patrick II, Saint Killian II and Gotland were chartered to cover for the Saint Colum I during overhaul.
References
edit- ^ "P&O Irish Sea Ferries – History". Poirishsea.com. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
- ^ "Irish Ferries". Irish Ferries Enthusiasts. Archived from the original on 12 March 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
- ^ "Recalling Irish Shipping liquidation". The Irish Times. 10 August 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
- ^ "Irish Ferries". Irish Ferries Enthusiasts. Archived from the original on 12 March 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
