[Article] Stena cancels Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead sailings

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/7422565?view=Eircomnet

Stena cancels Dun Laoghaire-Holyhead sailings
From:ireland.com
Friday, 17th February, 2006


Stena Line have announced that the HSS sailings between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead have been cancelled due to a technical problem.

The cancellation will be in place until Thursday, March 2nd, although Stena Line said passengers they will be accommodated on alternative sailings.

Those seeking further information should contact Stena Line on 01-2047777. All other Stena Line services are expected to sail on schedule.

Maskhadov

A tunnel wouldnt suffer from techincal problems.

Victor

Maskhadov wrote:

A tunnel wouldnt suffer from techincal problems.

Except flooding.

Maskhadov

:d Haha

Lennoxschips

Funny you should say that, I once visited the Storebælt road/rail link in Denmark. They told us that part of the rail tunnel was dug by Irish engineers, and that this part of the tunnel leaked water and eventually flooded during construction, setting construction back by months. Irish engineers and tunnels just don't mix. Either they're the wrong size (Port Tunnel) or are leaky (Jack Lynch)

A Dub in Glasgo

I thought both of those projects were handled by foreign groups (Japanese-British for the Port tunnel and British for the JL tunnel)

Lennoxschips

An Irish firm was also involved in the Port Tunnel, and it was obviously our decision to build it the height it was.

The Jack Lynch Tunnel was built by a British firm, that's correct. We'll blame them so...

SeaSide

Lennoxschips wrote:

Funny you should say that, I once visited the Storebælt road/rail link in Denmark. They told us that part of the rail tunnel was dug by Irish engineers, and that this part of the tunnel leaked water and eventually flooded during construction, setting construction back by months. Irish engineers and tunnels just don't mix. Either they're the wrong size (Port Tunnel) or are leaky (Jack Lynch)

afaik the Irish tunnellers are one of the best tunnelling crews around and would travel from one project to another. they are I have heard from achil island but i cant say I know for sure

jwt

Our equivalent to the Native American tribes used on steelworks with no fear of heights????????????

John

Andrew Duffy

they are I have heard from achil island but i cant say I know for sure

Aranmore Island in Donegal; I'm related to a few of them. The Channel Tunnel construction coincided with the EU's making it impossible for small fishermen to make a living.

Macy

It's actually pretty rare for the HSS to have unscheduled stops. Could you image if the Irish Ferries had to issue press releases every time the Swift wasnt running - some one in Dublin sneezes and it's cancelled due to "adverse weather conditions" :rolleyes:

MarkoP11

A hole below the water line isnt a technical problem.

HSS hit something and holed one of its hulls while entering the harbour in Holyhead thats why its out of service

MT

Andrew Duffy wrote:

Aranmore Island in Donegal; I'm related to a few of them.

Are there many of them? Tunnel workers from Donegal, not your relatives, that is.

Did they just up sticks when the fishing business folded and go straight to working on the Channel Tunnel or was there any special training involved? I don't know much about tunnelling but is it just essentially like regular construction work only deep underground?

Andrew Duffy

I think the numbers have reduced since the eighties; it was covered in International media a few times - enough to go into the Reader's Digest so millions of Americans who don't read could read about it. The work isn't particularly highly skilled, but it does have huge risks attached; all of them would have had experience building their own houses and workshops, usually out of whatever came to hand due to the huge cost of bring supplies from the mainland. And of course, the risk involved in building a tunnel pales in comparison to the risk involved in going to sea in the Atlantic for a week in a single-engined 40 foot trawler.

MT

It may not have been highly skilled but they still sound like a very competent bunch. Not everyone's built their own house, workshop, etc. Funny thing is I know Donegal reasonably well and I'd never heard this story - I'm too young to remember the 80s or indeed much about the early 90s.

And of course, the risk involved in building a tunnel pales in comparison to the risk involved in going to sea in the Atlantic for a week in a single-engined 40 foot trawler.

Definately. Getting caught in a storm at sea would make even hazardous construction work seem likes child's play. The Perfect Storm comes to mind! But isn't amazing how someone can grow up in one traditional way of life and then end up working on something that couldn't be further removed. One door closes another one opens.

Did any of them do any work on the Jack Lynch or DPT?

Andrew Duffy

I'm not sure - I think there were a few working on the Dublin Port Tunnel, but none of my relatives as far as I know.