Cork City to get brand-new river ferry service

Irish Independent

19-05-2025

16 different locations around the world's second largest natural harbour are due to finally be linked to the Fishguard Wharf 'city hub', as part of the €80 million 'Harbour Link' project, which was unveiled to the public today.
A ferry service around the harbour has been on the city's wish list for several years, and this ambitious project, which includes an express Cork-Cobh service, as well as the full harbour route, is due to revolutionise travel around the harbour, which becomes bottlenecked in several towns and villages during busy commuter times.
The service is set to have capacity for over 1.5 million passenger trips annually across the 17 docking locations, taking thousands of cars off the city's already jammed roads every day.
The ferry route spans from Crosshaven and Aghada in the lower harbour to the heart of Cork City, with stops at Ringaskiddy, Monkstown, Passage West, Little Island, Blackrock Castle & Observatory, and the city quays. This extensive network will connect with the new Transport Hub at Kent Station, providing direct pedestrian and cyclist access to the city.
The private service is set to use 'uniquely designed' sustainable zero-emission catamarans, specifically built for the harbour and river environment to achieve low noise and low wake service.
They will be capable of operating at low speeds in restricted areas to protect the environment and other river users, while also achieving more efficient speeds in open water areas for reliable scheduled service.
If complete, the service would be the first passenger ferry service in the city in over a century, to compliment the new Cork LUAS, which is set to be the city's first light-rail system, also in over a century.
Each vessel will have capacity for up to 300 passengers to accommodate peak demand for commuter services, tourist times, and special events, with a direct link to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The ferries will prioritise accessibility with full disabled access throughout and are designed to accommodate a variety of transport needs with bicycle and luggage racks, plus space for electric and mobility scooters. Household pets will be welcome on the outer decks, making the service truly inclusive for all passengers.
Onboard amenities will include a barista-style coffee shop and kiosk for light refreshments, accessible toilets, free 4G Wi-Fi with phone charging points, and a downloadable app offering multilingual guided heritage tours of historic harbour sites. The commuter service plans to operate at 30-minute frequencies to the city in each direction, while tourists can purchase 24 or 48-hour hop-on-hop-off passes to explore harbour attractions.
Portus Greenway Limited, which made the announcement this morning, says it expects to lodge planning applications within 6 to 12 months, with operations projected to begin by early to mid-2027.