Gipsy Rose Lee and the Rathlin Ferry

A recent Department for Regional Development weekly business review was given the following briefing on July 17, 2009:

6.1 Public Transport
Doreen Brown confirmed that the new catamaran was now being used between Ballycastle and Rathlin Island.

Rathlin Island Ferry Ltd website tells a different and contradictory story:

The new boat "Rathlin Express" began on July 18th with a full compliment on her first trip! 97 pax + 3 crew!

The catamaran promised for July 1 went into service almost three weeks late and has been out of action on at least three four occasions since then, sometimes for several days at a time.


I received a 'catamaran broken down' text message on Monday, July 27, and the St Sorney was also acting as relief vessel on the following day. According to the Grapevine, the catamaran overheated and had to return to Rathlin. Did the driver forget to go through the proper procedures and fail to turn on the water supply to the engines?

The catamaran is timetabled to do the journey in twenty minutes but seemed at times to be taking over thirty minutes. Ship ais website shows that the catamaran travelled to Moville on Tuesday, August 4, and returned to Rathlin on Friday, August 7. A Moyle council official said new propellers were fitted, presumably to enhance the craft's speed.


The catamaran returned to Moville on Monday, August 17, and then travelled to Coleraine harbour the following day where it was hoisted onto the quayside. A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said that this was done so that repairs could be made to the skegs. Did the catamaran ground or was there another reason for the damage?


I'm told that there is to be a special ceremony this Wednesday at 10am in Ballycastle to herald the arrival of the new vessel followed by lunch on Rathlin Island.

Perhaps the organisers will be consulting with Gipsy Rose Lee to find out whether or not the catamaran will be available for the special crossing.

Adds September 7

Statistics for Rathlin Express from shipais.com

Marinetraffic website

Rathlin island boat delayed by an hour grrr mechanical failure

11:20 AM Sep 5th from TweetDeck

It was the express which was out of service

[about 10pm Sep 6th from TweetDeck]

Ballycastle's Ramoan Parish Church - Quotable Quotes

Updated 3 September 2009

Ramoan Parish Church, Ballycastle, Co Antrim

Rathlin Ferry Contract: EU, UK and DRD

The EU Commission has recently stated that it is still awaiting a UK reply to a complaint that is being processed under the EU PILOT fast-track procedure. A reply was expected within ten weeks of the complaint being received by the relevant UK authority.

An MLA informed NALIL that s/he was briefed privately by a Stormont civil servant about the Commission intervention.

A query was subsequently put to Conor Murphy, DRD Minister, on NIcrunchtalk and the following DRD answer was forwarded to NALIL by NIcrunchtalk's Joanne Stuart on June 18:

The other outstanding question was regarding the EU investigation. The department's response is:

"The Department has not been contacted by the European Commission and is not aware of any investigation being carried out by the Commission into the Rathlin Ferry Contract."

How strange. The MLA has since confirmed that the earlier private briefing came from a DRD official!!

Travellers Leave Their Mark On Quay Road Playing Fields, Ballycastle

Moyle District Council appears to have a certain fondness for bollards but it left a weak link in the protection of its playing fields at Quay Road, Ballycastle. Presumably payment for the resulting damage will be added to the rates bill or council services will have to be pruned.