THE new Greencastle to Greenore car ferry service linking the Mournes and Cooley mountain regions will make its first sailing across Carlingford Lough next Easter, it was confirmed yesterday.
Full planning approval for the £7 million privately-backed project - which has been discussed for more than three decades - was granted by Newry Mourne and Down Council.
And the company behind the scheme says it is "delighted to have reached the end of a very long journey".
Carlingford Ferries director Paul O'Sullivan, whose company has already spend €750,000 on getting the project to this stage, also pledged to work with the communities on both sides of the lough to ensure everyone garners the maximum economic benefit from the service.
Under the strict terms of the planning process agreed in Newry, pile-driving to build the ferry berth can't begin until November, and work will take five months to complete.
So the service is expected to begin for the Easter weekend on the final weekend of next March.
In the meantime, Carlingford Ferries are required to meet certain conditions around upgrading the roads in and out of the ports
An economic impact study by the respected consultant Dr Pat McCloughhan said the year-round service has the potential to create and sustain 25 full-time and 300 knock-out jobs in the region, with annual spending of at least €10m (£7.5m).
Tourism bodies across Ireland believe the service will help them promote the Mournes and Cooley region as a single destination.
They attract a combined 4 million daily visits a year, but just a tiny percentage do both because of lack of access.
The 1.3 mile crossing, which will operate from 7am until 9.30pm in high season, leaving Greencastle on the hour and Greenore on the half-hour, the the ferry will have the capacity for more than 30 cars.
The crossing would take just 14 minutes and cuts out a 33-mile car journey of often more than an hour, depending on congestion in Newry.
The project is being financed by three families from Clare and Limerick with significant experience in the car ferry industry in the Shannon region.
Mr O'Sullivan told the Irish News: "We believe this service will be a tremendous boost for both South Down and Louth and will be of massive economic benefit to both areas.
"We are conscious of the concerns of the communities on both sides of the lough and will operate in a responsible way.
"We see this as a win-win for everybody."
He added: "There is a compelling interest in the prospect that a car ferry service across Carlingford Lough would bring destinations as far apart as the Boyne Valley in Co Meath and Newcastle in Co Down within touching distance of each other.
"The outstandingly beautiful coastal regions of the Cooley Peninsula and the Mournes have intrinsic natural attractions but restricted access to the area has been and continues to be a major problem.
"Tourism NI has adopted the Mournes as a signature project for its potential as a world-class destination. On the southern shore, Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula is designated a European destination of excellence.
"Our project will also copper-fasten links established in the memorandum of understanding signed between Newry and Mourne and Louth local authorities in 2011."
