The number of passengers taking ferries to Ireland has tripled compared to 2021. A new ferry service will start from 2023.

This is a direct consequence of Brexit. At the port of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, traffic to Ireland tripled within a year. Travelers wishing to travel to Great Britain must pass through Ireland, which is part of the European Union.

The Irish Ambassador to France also visited the port on Wednesday to witness this increase in maritime traffic. In 2021, 159,000 passengers boarded ferries connecting this Channel port to Ireland, and this figure rose to 490,000 in 2022.

Good news for the influence of the city

A “win-win” for the city’s mayor, explaining that this increase in traffic represents real economic development for Cherbourg.

“It serves our traders, it serves the entire port authority, it serves everyone around the port”, announces Benoît Arrivé on the microphone of BFM Normandy. “The port is hiring dock workers again, which hasn’t happened in years.”

Good news for the city’s international influence and openness to other countries. “We take the boat here in Cherbourg, we spend a nice evening on board, and we wake up in Dublin, in this beautiful and great capital.”

Port traffic is expected to increase next year as well. Stena Line has also chosen to deploy a new ferry from 2023 to provide a link between Cherbourg and Rosslare in Ireland.