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BREXIT-BRITAIN-IRELAND
Brexit leaves ferry to Ireland in uncertain waters
CARLINGFORD, Ireland, June 23, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The Carlingford ferry,
which connects Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland, was launched one
year ago but is already facing an uncertain future with a solution to the
post-Brexit border problem still to be found.
The service has proved popular with commuters looking for a speedy crossing
to work, but the potential imposition of time-consuming customs checks means
it may be increasingly reliant on an underdeveloped tourism sector.
The project was ten years in the making when Britain voted in 2016 to leave
the European Union, but despite the setback, Frazer Ferries, which operates
the service, has vowed to plough on.
“There is no clearly defined endgame for Brexit yet and we don’t know what
it will ultimately look like, but we do feel very confident that we will
adapt,” Paul O’Sullivan, director of Frazer Ferries, told AFP.
Barry Gardener and his wife Rita were among those at Carlingford quay on a
cool and calm weekday morning, waiting with two other vehicles to board the
ferry.
The couple were travelling from Drogheda, 65 kilometres (40 miles) to the
south, for a day’s shopping in Newcastle, across the border in Northern
Ireland.
“I decided to take her out of the country,” joked the mischievous 70-year-
old, as his wife laughed, holding onto his arm.
The service, which can accomodate 10 cars, runs every 30 minutes across
the Carlingford lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea that separates the two
countries.
There are no checks on the border between the British province of Northern
Ireland and its southern neighbour, as both are currently members of the
European Union and share the same customs rules.
But EU and British negotiators are so-far stumped on how to maintain the
open border post-Brexit.
MORE/AU/09:45 hrs
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The quiet region around the lough is renowned for its idyllic, mountainous
scenery, but remains isolated, and is more than 20km from the M1 motorway
linking Dublin to Belfast.
“A lot of people didn’t know this part of the world existed,” said
Geoffrey Chestnutt, owner of a holiday resort on the Northern Irish coast,
noting that the ferry had boosted business.
“They would have travelled directly from Newry (in Northern Ireland) to
Newcastle, just missing it out,” added the 40-year-old. “It’s a good thing
for both sides of the lough”.
– ‘Neglect’ –
In addition to the 17 jobs directly created by the service, it also has
the potential to provide a broader boost to the economy, said O’Sullivan.
The operator said a fishery based in the Northern Ireland coastal town of
Kilkeel had been in touch about the possibility of making deliveries to the
south.
“The ferry would obviously cut a 30 mile journey down to a couple of
miles,” he said, explaining that the boat takes quarter-of-an-hour, compared
with more than an hour by road.
Ticket-seller Nora McKee, wrapped up in her blue raincoat emblazoned with
the company logo, told AFP that “most of our commuters are from the north
side — a whole lot is travelling through to Dublin for work.”
But the return of a physical border could spell an end to the shortened
journey for professional clientele.
The ferry is already trying to increase its tourist numbers, but the
holidaymakers are still few and far between, according to the moustachioed
Brian Mac An Bhaird, who blames a lack of investment.
“Look at today, this is the middle of the summer… there are no people.
Where are the tourists?” asked the 71-year-old retiree, noting that “you
can’t even get a sandwich here”.
Paddy Malone, from the regional chamber of commerce, said Carlingford was
hit particularly hard by the Troubles, and has “been neglected” since peace
was achieved.
He partly blames authorities south of the border, whom he said “feel that
if they get people up to the border, half of the money will be spent on the
other side”.
Malone believes the area has “huge potential if we can manage Brexit”, but
admitted that uncertainty hung over the border region and the future of the
ferry.
On a more optimistic note, O’Sullivan insisted that if a physical border
reappeared, “perhaps those cars would rather wait for these checks in the
comfort of the ferry terminal overlooking Carlingford Lough” than take the
motorway.
BSS/AFP/AU/09:50 hrs