dún laoghaire harbour company

Stena Line
commits to
Dún Laoghaire
Harbour until
2011

Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company and Stena Line are pleased to announce that they have signed a new seven year agreement for Stena Line's HSS fast ferry to continue using Dún Laoghaire Harbour until 2011.

The agreement was signed recently in Dún Laoghaire by the Chairman of the Harbour Company, Mr Paddy McMahon and Stena Line's Area Director for the Irish Sea, Mr Fredrik Lantz.

The new agreement extends by five years the current operating agreement which runs until April 2006 and ties Stena Line to this strategic route to Holyhead in Wales which the company and its predecessors have operated since 1826. The new agreement will generate gross shipping revenues in the region of 50 million euro for the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company over its seven year term, the profits of which will be invested in the maintenance and development of Dún Laoghaire Harbour.

Stena Line is an international transport and travel service company and one of the world's largest ferry operators. Stena Line operates 18 routes strategically located between Ireland, Britain, Holland and Scandinavia serviced by 39 vessels including fast ferries, multi-purpose ferries, ropax
vessels and freight only vessels. The Company introduced the world's largest fast ferry the HSS Stena Explorer on it's Dún Laoghaire -Holyhead route in 1996 and has carried over 10 million passengers on this ferry in its eight years on the route.

Commenting at the signing, Paddy McMahon said: "This agreement is excellent news for the Harbour Company, the town of Dún Laoghaire as well as the future of Dún Laoghaire as an independent port". Fredrik Lantz said: "The Dún Laoghaire-Holyhead route is a critical and strategically important part of our Irish Sea Route Network and we are pleased to continue our excellent and long standing partnership with the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company and the town of Dún
Laoghaire".

Stena Line currently operates three HSS sailings daily in each direction. The ship is scheduled to berth in Dún Laoghaire Harbour each day at 10:34, 15:24 and 20:09. There are spectacular views of the ship entering the Harbour from the East Breakwater a couple of minutes before each of the above times. The ferry sails out at 11:10, 16:05 and 21:45.