25 October 2002: Irish Ferries has won two top awards 'Best Ferry Company' and 'Best Travel Website' in the first Holiday Awards competition organised by the travel industry publication Travel Extra. The award was decided by a popular vote taken amongst members of the public and audited by NCB Corporate Finance.

Irish Ferries were the only winners in the competition to receive two awards both of which were presented to the company's Managing Director, Eamonn Rothwell by the Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs, Carmel Foley at a gala prize giving ceremony held in Dublin recently.

Accepting the award, Mr Rothwell said that the decision by the public to present these two top awards to Irish Ferries was, in part, a reflection of 'the very significant investment made by the company in the last decade when some E400 million was spent in the construction of four new vessels and on improvements to port terminals and shore facilities here and in the UK'.

Amongst the new vessels commissioned by Irish Ferries is the world's largest car ferry 'Ulysses' which was introduced on the Dublin - Holyhead route just over one year ago. Equipped with almost three miles of vehicle lane parking space, 'Ulysses' has room on board for up to 1,342 cars or 260 articulated freight units.

Other new vessels include the fast ferry 'Jonathan Swift', which also services the Dublin - Holyhead route, and the 'Isle of Inishmore' which operates on the Rosslare - Pembroke route.