‘WB Yeats’ arrives in Dublin ready to ‘arise and go’ to France

The new €147 million Irish Ferries ship WB Yeats sailed up the Irish Sea on Thursday. Such is its size that it blocked much of the view from Blackrock of a good portion of Howth Head.

Passengers on the Rosslare to Dublin train cast a cold eye on the vessel, which it was announced on Tuesday would not be based in south Co Wexford but rather at Dublin Port. Some on the train were hoping it would not be remembered as “the boat that killed Rosslare”.

The 195m ship towered above freighters as it approached the city. Over the next three days the the WB Yeats will be berthed near the East Link bridge. It goes into service in March.

The boat’s arrival was late as it had originally been scheduled to be delivered by the German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft & Co in time for the holiday season gone.

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Built for service between Ireland, France and Britain, the vessel will provide up to four sailings a week directly from Dublin to France. It can cater for up to 1,800 passengers, hosted in 440 cabins, including luxury suites with private balcony sea views and a “dedicated butler” service.

There was no access to the ship but, according to Irish Ferries, passenger areas “exude understated elegance” and are illustrated by works of art and the writings of well-known artists and scribes such as Yeats.