<P> From 1987 to 2006, the Swansea Cork ferry was operated by Swansea Cork Car Ferries Ltd., an Ireland - based company . The ferry operated year - round . The ten - hour journey across the Celtic Sea was usually covered by an overnight sailing arriving in Ringaskiddy early in the morning, sailing back to Swansea during daytime in months July and August, and at night the rest of the year . The service was operated by one passenger ferry which could accommodate automobiles, camper vans, and goods vehicles, and had on - board cabins . </P> <P> The service ceased operating after the 2006 season . After disposing of their most recent vessel, the MV Superferry, and failing to find a suitable replacement, Swansea Cork Ferries Ltd announced that they would not be operating the service during the 2007 summer season . There was also no service during 2008 or 2009 . </P> <P> Thirty staff in Swansea, 45 in Ireland and 120 ship staff were laid off when the company ceased operations after 2006 . Press reports show that the loss of the passenger ferry service dealt a blow to the economies of both South West Wales and the Cork area in Ireland . Since Swansea Cork Ferries started operating the ferry service in 1987, the company brought 2,850,000 passengers and 700,000 cars into Cork . Tourism sources in West Cork said that the ferry's loss resulted in a 30% drop in tourists coming into the region from Britain, particularly hurting hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and camping centres . The loss cost Ireland's Cork and Kerry region an estimate £ 24.4 m (€ 35 million) based on a study by University College Cork in 2007, with the west of Cork being particularly badly hit because its out - of - the - way pubs, restaurants and hotels not served by buses or trains relied heavily on car ferry users . In Swansea and South West Wales the hotel, pub, restaurant and B&B trade has been hit by the loss of Irish visitors--an influx that in 2006 brought £ 65m to the Welsh economy . The route was also heavily used by English and European tourists as a "relatively close to London" route to the Republic of Ireland, with many travellers stopping overnight in Swansea . </P> <P> Two local businessmen in West Cork started a campaign and website in April 2008 to highlight the impact of the continuing lack of the Ferry service, www.bringbacktheswanseacorkferry.com; this was superseded by a new site at www.peoplesferry.com . The old site featured an e-petition where people affected by the suspension of the ferry could make their views known, and the new site carried news of the new ferry service, plus a history of the campaign . </P>

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