A cross-border ferry service that linked counties Louth and Down across Carlingford Lough has announced it will not operate in 2026.
The news of the halted service is a blow for cross-border tourism in the Cooley Peninsula and Mourne Mountains region.
A notice posted on the Carlingford Lough Ferry website stated that the service between Greenore in Louth and Greencastle in Down would not run on any date this year.
It said that tickets with outstanding trips valid for travel in 2026 would have their expiry dates extended, "so they can be used when the ferry is back in service".
The notice did not state when the service would resume.
The ferry, heralded as a multimillion-euro project when it first set sail in 2017, is part of the Frazer Ferry Group.
Watch: 'It's a big loss to the area' - café owner on loss of ferry service
Eavan Brady, owner of the Coast and Co café in the historic railway village of Greenore from where the ferry departs, said the news was disappointing.
"We were of course disappointed because we did value the service and extra people it brought to our business," she said.
"I think we just have to rethink what way we attract people in. It is a big loss to the area, but there are so many nice things to see and do in the area that people will still come, they'll just find an alternative method of getting here.
"The biggest impact is that visitor numbers to area are going to be down, and that naturally that is going to affect not just our business, but other businesses in the area. We have to find another way to bring people in."
She also said the move will have an impact on summer job opportunities for many students.
Ms Brady said the ferry had "done wonders" for the area and put Greenore on the map.
"It's been a great asset to the whole area, not just to our business. It brings a lot of people to the village who have never visited before. Some of them are just wandering around; some are coming to spend, looking for something to eat or drink.
"A lot of people come for the first time to Greenore and then maybe come on a return visit when they see how amazing it is. So, the ferry has been instrumental in putting Greenore on the map," she said.
Cycling has become a big attraction on the wider Cooley Peninsula, with the Carlingford Greenway now extended as far as Newry in Co Down.
Some cyclists would have taken the scenic route across the Lough as part of their journeys.
Richard Lewis of On Yer Bike bicycle hire company in Carlingford said he was "devastated" to hear the news.
"It is one of my favourite things to do, to get on my bike, go to Greenore, go across, go to Cranfield beach or cycle around the Lough. Lots of my customers did it, I had those routes on my website, I've had to take them down. I think it's just a terrible loss for the area, for tourism," he said.
Richard said that cycling events like the Carlingford Loop Sportive and his own "Tour du Lough" depended on the ferry.
Popular sunset cruises were also part of the ferry service.
He said that the ferry was a component of the "overall fabric of tourism" in the region, and he hoped it would return.
"Of course, we live in hope," he said.
'A great tourism initiative'
Local Councillor for the Carlingford area Fiona Mhic Conchoille said the ferry service has been the "identity of Carlingford Lough" since its launch.
She called for supports for the affected business.
"It was a great tourism initiative in the area, and it was very well supported from the start. You had foot passengers, cars, bicycles, tours coming on with bikes, so it was a fantastic service. We are very disappointed it's gone and we are hoping in the background that every support is given to Carlingford Lough Ferry to maybe bring it back in the future, whatever support they need."
She suggested that the county council's in Louth and Down could come together and meet the company "to find out was it a commercial or operational decision, that the ferry operators made that call on. We don't know. We haven't really been fully informed on it.
"Either way, it is disappointing for the area. Any tourism infrastructure, if that is taken away, of course it is a bigger impact within the local area, everyone will feel it," she said.
Ferry service has been 'disregarded'
North of the border, a DUP MLA for South Down also described the loss of the ferry as a "major blow to South Down tourism".
Diane Forsythe described the decision not to operate this year as a "major setback for tourism and local businesses".
Ms Forsythe said she had raised concerns over what she called a "lack of support" given to the Ferry by tourism bodies and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland.
"I was disappointed by the lack of urgency shown towards the ferry as an important tourism asset."
Ms Forsythe said it feels like the ferry has been "disregarded" as the Narrow Water Bridge Project progresses.
"I believe there is room for both," she said.
The new Narrow Water Bridge will link Omeath in Louth with Warrenpoint in Down. It is due to open by the end of next year.
Cllr Mhic Conchoille agreed that there is "room for both" the bridge and the ferry.
"The Narrow Water Bridge will improve connectivity between the Lough and the surrounding towns and villages off the Lough. But the Carlingford Ferry in itself is a separate tourism initiative and attraction."
Carlingford Lough Ferry did not make any further comment on plans for the service.
