MS Isle of Inishmore heading towards Rosslare.
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History | |
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Name: | Isle of Inishmore |
Operator: | Irish Ferries |
Port of registry: | |
Route: | Rosslare - Pembroke Dock |
Builder: | Van der Giessen de Noord |
Cost: | IR£60 million |
Yard number: | 968 |
Laid down: | December 1995 |
Launched: | October 1996 |
Completed: | February 1997 |
In service: | March 1997 |
Identification: | IMO number: 9142605 |
Status: | In service |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage: | 34,031 GT |
Length: | 182.5 m (598 ft 9 in) |
Beam: | 27.8 m (91 ft 2 in) |
Draught: | 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in) |
Installed power: | 4x Sulzer 8ZA40S diesel engines |
Capacity: |
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MS Isle of Inishmore is a ro-ro ferry owned by Irish Ferries and operated on their Rosslare-Pembroke service. At the time of her introduction, she was the largest car ferry operating in Northern Europe. She is named after Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. The name of the ferry is tautologous, since "Inishmore" derives from the Irish for "big island".
Isle of Inishmore was constructed by Van der Giessen de Noord in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, at a cost of IR£60 million. Construction commenced in December 1995, and the vessel was launched in October 1996. She was delivered to Dublin in February 1997, before entering service in March 1997.
Power is provided by four Sulzer diesel engines. Each round trip between Rosslare and Pembroke requires 25 tonnes of marine diesel oil.
Isle of Inishmore's sistership, Stena Jutlandica, operates between Gothenburg and Frerikshavn. She has less passenger accommodation.
Passenger accommodation includes cabins for up to four people. Cabins are provided with an en-suite shower room. The vessel also offers a number of catering facilities and seating areas. The Club Class lounge, located on the top deck, is available at an additional cost to the passenger and offers complimentary refreshments and reserved seating. Also available are shopping facilities and a video game arcade.
Isle of Inishmore began her career on Irish Ferries' Dublin-Holyhead route as the flagship of the company's fleet, replacing the 1995 built Isle of Innisfree. Following the introduction of the larger MS Ulysses onto the route in March 2001, Isle of Inishmore was redeployed to the Rosslare-Pembroke route.