A milestone for offshore island transport in Co Donegal, was marked this afternoon as a new vessel, the 'Arranmore Blu' ferry, officially launched.
The 96 passenger and ten vehicle capacity ferry will provide a six-times daily ferry service between Árainn Mhór and Ailt an Chorráin in west Donegal.
The 'Arranmore Blu' was designed by Marine Design Ltd in Glasgow, and it was constructed by Bute Boat Builders in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland.
The ferry will replace the MV Morvern, a vessel built in 1972 and formerly part of the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet.
Arranmore Ferry Service Managing Director Seamus Boyle said the arrival of the 'Arranmore Blu' represents not just a new vessel, "but a new era for our island community".
He said the "ferry has been designed with our passengers' comfort and safety as the top priority, while also accommodating the practical needs of island life".
The Boyle family has operated the ferry service between Árainn Mhór and Ailt an Chorráin since June 2007.
They began providing a service with the Realt na Maidine vessel - an 11m fast ferry constructed by Red Bay in Cushendall, Co Antrim.
They expanded the fleet later in 2007 with the Girl Gray, a 14m Aquastar fast boat. Due to increased demand, they acquired the MV Bruernish from Calmac, a ferry operator on the west coast of Scotland in 2008.
The following year - 2009, they acquired the MV Morvern from the same Scottish firm - the boat has served Árainn Mhór for 16 years. It will make way for the 'Arranmore Blu'.
Over the years, the Árainn Mhór fleet evolved with the addition of the Yoker Swan and Renfrew Rose from the Clyde.
Those two boats were eventually replaced by the Misneach - the first landing craft ferry to serve Árainn Mhór and it later made way the MV Canna - a boat that previously served Rathlin Island, Co Antrim as well as the west Scottish islands.
The owners of the Árainn Mhór ferry service began planning five years ago for a new vessel that would offer greater capacity, safety and comfort and meet the future needs of the Gaeltacht island.
Mr Boyle said they are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported this project and added they "look forward to providing reliable, modern ferry services for generations to come".
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