Irish Ships and Shipping 

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Irish Shipping Ltd.

IRISH CONTINENTAL LINE

Crew and Ships

In 1973 A NEW COMPANY WAS FORMED WITH FEARNLY AND EGER OF NORWAY-- LION FERRY A/B OF SWEDEN AND I.S.L. IT WAS CALLED IRISH CONTINENTAL LINE AND STARTED A NEW SERVICE BETWEEN ROSSLARE AND LE HAVRE/CHERBOURG IN JUNE 1973 WITH THE M.V.ST.PATRICK.

In November 1986 sole ownership of the two Irish Continental Line vessels was acquired, a move which cleared the way for the completion of the sale which took place in March 1987 when a consortium of institutional investors was successful in its bid for the company.
For Irish Continental Group, as the new holding company was now known, 1987 was to be one of the most exciting in the 19 years history of the Ireland-France ferry service. Under new ownership, a big revamp began.
Irish Ferries and Belfast Ferries (then in operation) were the new operating divisions. The Board of Directors was restructured, a new Managing Director was recruited, and steps were taken to revitalise the company.
APEX fares and other incentives were introduced to give customers the benefit of discounts for early bookings. Freight customers were given a new, more competitive tariff structure. New quality standards were introduced throughout the company and the ships were refurbished to become ‘floating hotels’.
Much organisational change took place internally, and outwardly there came a change of image. A new corporate identity and logotype were introduced with strong new colour themes and a shamrock motif which featured prominently. This new design style was carried through in all the company’s promotional literature and advertising.

St. Killian II 1982

	Capt.J.Gillespie (March 2014)	John Gillespie Master, Frank Dunne Bosun and George Knight Chief Officer, taken on board Normandy September 1999.		M.V. Normandy taken at Cherbourg 12th March 2000, my last day in command.>>> Capt.J.Gillespie (March 2014)
	MV. Normandy 2003 Photos from Noel Fynes ( JULY 2013)
Cherbourg >>> Photos from Noel Fynes ( JULY 2013)
	Photos from Ronnie Black (August 2011)
		Ronnie Black, Christy Shannon, Frank Dunne On The St Killian in 1991.	Ronnie Black, Sean Byrne, John Whelan On Chrismas Morning On The St Killian in 1995.	Ronnie Black, Christy Maguire, Sean Byrne on the St Patrick in 1989.
1982 Photos from John Devaney

M.V.Killian

Photos from Ann Gleeson  September 2008

				The start of the France service 1968.
		ST. PATRICK SOCCER SQUAD 1970s 7 sea's WINNERS.
M.V.St.Patrick football 11 in Paris 1980			St.Killian-V.Beech,M.O'Sullivan, A.Murphy,M.Smith
1979 saw one of the worst storms in the last 100 years and the following photos from the Le Harve press sent in by Phil Smyth show some of the damage the St.Patrick took and the damage it caused on her car deck during her voyage from Rosslare.

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