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The ferry routes in 2009 were broadly similar to today with a few key differences:

Stena Line's Belfast route sailed to Stranraer in Scotland (since November 2011 the Scottish port is Cairnryan - a few miles seawards along Loch Ryan from Stranraer)

There was a seasonal route from Larne to Troon operated by P & O (since discontinued)

There is also a route from Belfast to Douglas (Isle of Man) - Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Back in 2009 it only sailed to Belfast in the Summer and used to sail to Dublin at Christmas but in recent years there has been a sailing to and from Belfast (to/from the IOM) just before Christmas and again just before the New Year. There were also a few sailings from Larne to Douglas around TT races time on the Isle of Man.

Another major change is that the longstanding route from Dún Laoghaire to Holyhead - the Dublin Airport of its day ceased after operation on 9th September, 2014 (nowadays all ferries go into Dublin). Dún Laoghaire was known and travelled through by generations of emigrants and visitors.

There was also a route from Cork to Swansea which ceased around 2011 and a route from Rosslare to Roscoff (France).

I think that is all that is different but others may be able to confirm if there's anything I missed.

If you wished to look at sailing schedules (which are generally more or less the same as today) you could go to the likes of the Wayback Machine, type in the ferry operator's website and browse.

I hope the foregoing information is helpful.

Presumably due to low traffic levels at this time of year a number of weekend sailings on the Southern and Central corridors have been scaled back.

On Rosslare - Fishguard there is no 23:45 ex Fishguard on Sundays and no 07:30 ex Rosslare on Mondays though both sailings reappear for the Easter travel period.

On the Central Corridor both the 02:15 ex Dublin and 02:15 ex Holyhead are not operating on either Sundays or Mondays. The sailings reappear next month.

Indeed hopefully that is the case...

Eurolines route 871 is still suspended; I'd imagine it will be some time next year before it is reinstated; at present the National Express network is rather skeletal and the Shearings Depot on the fringes of Warrington where passengers for Leeds/ Manchester/ Liverpool interchanged with the Dublin Eurolines is being repurposed as a lorry park.

As for taking the 20.40/ 20.55 sailings ex Dublin I think there are possibly a few reasons at play:

* Passengers tied up whether with work or commitments during the day who can't make an earlier sailing and want to get underway rather than wait for the next morning.

* Some passengers have a considerable distance to travel to reach Dublin...there are parts of the country from where (by public transport) one wouldn't make earlier sailings so the evening sailing works for them.

* Maybe too because there is a tradition of an evening sailing for decades (e.g. for years there was a 20.45 ex D?n Laoghaire)

That said the Eurolines offers the best overnight option ex Dublin.

Irish Ferries have opened up the night sailings e.g. 20.55 ex Dublin to foot passenger bookings over the festive period commencing Friday 18th Dec.

Wonder will Stena Line follow...i.e. 20.40 & 02.15 ex Dublin

Pre-Coronavirus all Stena Line sailings and most IF sailings (including the 20.55 ex Dublin & 02.40 ex Holyhead) accepted footies but with significantly reduced traffic/ essential travel only the night sailings don't carry foot passengers at the moment.

Despite the restrictions in place either side of the Irish Sea there is likely to be some increase in traffic over the period.

The Passenger Locator Form will move to an online process next week, the Minister for Health has confirmed. It previously had to be filled out manually.

Stephen Donnelly said regulations underpinning the move to an online form will come into effect on Wednesday, 26 August.

It is an offence not to complete the form on arrival to this country, outlining where you will be residing for the following 14 days.

The form must be completed by all arrivals, whether coming from a Green List country or not. However, arrivals from Green List countries are not required to self-isolate.

Not filling out the form - or failing to provide accurate information - is punishable by a fine of up to ?2,500 or a maximum of six months' imprisonment.

Minister Donnelly said: "The public health advice remains that all non-essential travel overseas should be avoided, but we understand that some people need to travel for essential personal and family reasons.

"Today's change is aimed to facilitate this travel and make the completion of the Covid-19 Passenger Locator Form easier for those who need to travel.

"Importantly we are rolling out an enhanced system of engagements with passengers, which will include issuing targeted public health advice by text message."

Mr Donnelly added: "Completion of this form helps our public health officials carry out follow-up checks on those arriving into the State.

"It also facilitates contact tracing efforts in the event of a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19 on a flight or ship that has landed in Ireland."

If you are travelling on or before 25 August, you can still fill out the Passenger Locator Form manually. It will be online only from 26 August.

People travelling directly onwards to Northern Ireland will not have to complete all sections of the form.
One form should be completed for each passenger aged 16 or older. Children under the age of 16 can be included on a form completed by an accompanying adult.

Source - RT? News

Good to hear of all the precautions and safety measures in place. My last trip was aboard Estrid in March before things deteriorated - at that point there was a growing awareness of social distancing plus sanitiser on counters.

If anyone is making the journey on foot it may be of help to note that Dublin Bus route 53 - the public bus which terminates outside Irish Ferries Terminal 1 - is operating as normal. There is no official stop at Terminal 2 Stena Line (the stop pole seen across the yard from T2 is from years ago and is not served despite being in Dublin Bus yellow) but it's just a 7/8 minute walk to/from Terminal 1 with paths the whole way. Route 53 doesn't specifically connect with any ferry but having used it many times over the years I've seen fellow passengers going for Stena/IF/Steam Packet sailings on it.

The fare is e1.55 with a Leapcard.

New https://www.rosslareeuroport.ie/en-ie website up and running.

Good to see the rail connectivity being mentioned and the scenic nature of the line from Rosslare through Wexford and Wicklow to Dublin being accorded a plug.

Really needed is either a courtesy bus or subway to link station with terminal as the 7 to 8 minute walk is not enticing in inclement weather - fortunately the times I've walked it the worst of the weather stayed away.

Could Mostyn perhaps be a possibility given they previously availed of the port. (I know it's in Wales but not a million miles from the North West either)

As this storm approaches I thought it may be of interest to record how it will affect sailings

Dublin - Holyhead  (Stena Line) possible disruptions noted for sailings ex Holyhead

Dublin - Holyhead (Irish Ferries) currently showing tomorrow's sailings as "on time"

Rosslare - Fishguard (Stena Line - Stena Europe)

Early sailing - the scheduled 23.45 ex Fishguard will sail at 23.00
Tomorrow's 08.00 ex Rosslare & 13.10 ex Fishguard are cancelled
Tomorrow's 18.10 ex Rosslare is in doubt

Rosslare - Pembroke Dock (Irish Ferries)
02.45 ex Pembroke Dock operating
remaining three sailings for tomorrow and Tuesday's 02.45 cancelled

There is a footnote on the sailing updates page in respect of tonight's 20.40 hrs.  Dublin - Holyhead sailing

Please note this sailing will NOT take foot passengers.

Not sure if this restriction also applied to today's 14.00 Holyhead to Dublin

over in the Isle of Man sailings resumed this evening with Ben my Chree taking the 19.40hrs from Douglas to Heysham

I thought it may be of interest to record where ships are/were over Christmas

Three Stena Line vessels at Holyhead Adventurer, Superfast X and, just offshore, Estrid.

Service is resuming with the 14.00 Stena Adventurer sailing to Dublin today, St. Stephen's Day. Superfast X resumes with the 08.55 tomorrow.

Stena Europe at Fishguard since operating the delayed 18.10 ex Rosslare on Christmas Eve. Resumes service with the 23.45 ex Fishguard tonight.

Isle of Inishmore at Rosslare (berth 1) and resuming with the 08.45 to Pembroke Dock tomorrow morning.

Stena Horizon at Rosslare (berth 3).

Ulysses at Dublin terminal 1 and resuming with the 08.05 sailing in the morning.
WB Yeats upriver at Alexandra Basin and resuming with the 14.30hrs.

It's at the HSS berth at Holyhead.

Noticed in recent days whilst passing through the port at night that some work appears to be underway here with a mini crane et cetera to be seen...

The 2020 sailing schedule for Dublin Swift is now available:

Ex Dublin at 08.20 and 14.40

Ex Holyhead at 11.30 and 17.35

Scheduled passage time of 2 hrs 15 mins

a more user-friendly timetable than this year's in my view - the 07.30 was too early.

Strangely the booking engine shows the first sailing on Thurs 2nd April 2020 departing at 07.30, with the 08.20 departure time commencing the following day...

Looking at Estrid's family tree one ponders whether we could also see a Stena Ingvar and Stena Ingefast  :)