The €144million cruise ferry will be named in honour of Irish poet when she debuts in summer 2018
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Irish Ferries is to name its new €144million cruise ferry W. B. Yeats in honour of 20th-century Irish poet William Butler Yeats, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923 and helped to found Dublin’s Abbey Theatre.
The name was suggested by Lee Maxwell from Manorhamilton in County Leitrim, which is located close to County Sligo that features in many of Yeats’s poems. It drew ‘strong support’ from the public in an online competition that attracted nearly 100,000 entries. Maxwell will now receive free travel for life with Irish Ferries.
Christening the newbuild W. B. Yeats will also enable Irish Ferries to continue its tradition of naming its ferries after figures from the world of Irish literature.
“In choosing W. B. Yeats from the many whose works are revered by Irish people and students of literature the world over, we have selected one that will give the new vessel its own distinct identity and stir memories of a poet who is held in high esteem by so many, here and abroad,” said Andrew Sheen, Irish Ferries’ managing director. “It is a name that will convey a sense of the magnificence and grandeur that passengers can expect when travelling on our new vessel, sailings of which are expected to commence on the Dublin – Holyhead, and Ireland – France routes from mid-summer next year.”
Currently under construction at Germany’s Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesselschaft shipyard, the ferry is scheduled for delivery in July 2018 and will accommodate 1,885 passengers and crew and 1,200 cars.
Passenger facilities will be spread over four decks with 440 cabins, which will include deluxe and standard class accommodation, and suites with private external balconies. Other venues will include bars, à la carte and self-service restaurants, an exclusive lounge for premium Club Class passengers, a cinema, retail outlets and pet facilities. Freight drivers will have their own dedicated facilities.
Powered by four main engines, the newbuild will operate at a speed of 22.5 knots and feature an exhaust gas cleaning system (scrubber) and a ballast water system. This will reduce fuel consumption and costs, while ensuring the ferry complies with environmental regulations.