A privately funded proposal to introducing a car ferrying service between Greenore and Greencastle could be delivered by summer 2013 according to one of the men behind the project. Speaking to the Newry Reporter Bill Tosh said that plans for the project which is comparable to the service operated between Strangford and Portaferry is at an early stage but has considerable backing. “We have sourced eight private investors to get behind it ,” he said. “It is 1.3 miles across and would cost in the range of 7-8m Euros to deliver.” As part of the preparations for the project, Mr Tosh and his business partner Paul O’Sullivan have met with TDs, residents, tourist board representatives on both sides of the border and Newry and Mourne District Council. Mr Tosh also believes that the project would also prove complementary rather than detrimental to long standing aspirations of developing a bridge between Warrenpoint and Omeath at Narrow Water. “I would hope that the bridge project is not dead as I see potential for a loop around the Lough. I is at a very early stage. We have also tried to circumvent the difficulties experienced by other firms who tried to introduce a service in the past by securing land outside the villages.” The development of a bridge at Narrow Water hit a major stumbling block earlier this year when the Republic’s government withdrew financial support for the project. However according to Crotlieve councillor Declan McAteer (SDLP) the delivery of a Greenore- Greencastle ferry could help revive the project. It would be a welcome infrastructure asset and I don’t believe it would lessen the argument for the bridge,” he said. If a private firm believes there is a market for this it reinforces the viability of the bridge which could then loop the lough.”
Newry Reporter
12th October 2011
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