There are lots of photographs as well as copies of documents unearthed with the aid of Freedom of Information requests to government departments and other bodies in Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Rathlin Rip takes its name from the tides that surge through the narrow channel between Rathlin Island and the North Antrim Coast.
I'm told that one of the directors of Rathlin Island Ferry Limited, the newish company operating on the Ballycastle-Rathlin ferry route, has recently registered two new websites, rathlinrip.com and rathlinrip.co.uk. The reasons for such a quaint course of action as yet are not discernible. Perhaps they'll eventually appear in the webpages of Slugger O'Toole - or the European Commission Maritime Affairs newsletter!!
Adds April 7
Has RIFL got money to burn? The same director registered www.nevintaggart.com on March 24, 2009. Perhaps her money and time would be better spent on maintaining the wages of the crews on the Cape Clear ferry that she and her husband operate in Co Cork. I'm hearing that the strike that was scheduled for March 30 has been postponed to Easter.
“This action is being undertaken, as a result of management’s refusal to honour the terms of Towards 2016, Review and Transitional Agreement 2008-2009, and specifically because of management’s stated intention to unilaterally cut salaries by approximately 18 per cent, along with other cuts to contracted terms and conditions.
“We have tried on a number of occasions to arrange meetings, and to date, we have not even received the courtesy of a reply from the company.
Can RIFL shore staff and crew anticipate the same swingeing cuts and cavalier treatment? They must envy the wage increases awarded at the end of 2008 to their former colleagues in Calmac.
