The Irish Experience
Monday, July 26th, 2010
Mobilise member Rob Mannion shares his experience of driving in the Emerald Isle.
Even though I see many British mainland registered cars during my frequent trips to the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, I think many more of us, especially disabled drivers, could enjoy the Irish travelling experience. From Cork to Donegal and from Belfast to Bangor, there are some wonderful people to meet and truly dramatic scenery to enjoy in the land of my ancestors.
Yes, there are practical problems travelling if you’re a disabled person, but my own experiences illustrate what can be achieved. As an arm amputee with spinal arthritis and diabetic neuropathy, (meaning I can’t feel much below my knees), sitting and walking is difficult and I drive a specially adapted car, a Toyota Yaris Verso, equipped with hand controls.
Hiring a car in Ireland is not an option for me as I require hand controls – plus I’m large, very tall, and can’t bend my neck very well. Hence, the high headroom Yaris Verso, in which I drive everywhere!
There’s not much difference in ferry prices between different operators. However, I think that other factors, including customer care, come into play for disabled people when choosing which ferry company to use. My own favourite ferry operator is Irish Ferries, particularly on the Pembroke Dock (Pembrokeshire, West Wales) to Rosslare (County Wexford) route. There are two sailings a day in each direction by the Isle of Inishmore ferry.
The ship is large, measuring 183 metres long and weighing in at over 34,000 metric tones. She was one of the largest car ferries in Europe when launched in 1996 and can carry 2,200 passenger and around 800 cars and many lorries on the journey of 60 miles or so. Importantly for reluctant sailors, she’s fitted with automatic stabilizers. From my own experience in a Force 8/9 gale during a November crossing, I know that these are very effective!
The Irish experience begins on board
Because of the welcoming nature of the Irish it used to be said – and this was certainly my opinion – that the ‘Irish Experience’ began as soon as passengers boarded the ship. However, in recent years Irish Ferries have registered the ship in the Cypriot port of Limasol, and replaced the vast majority of their traditional Irish crew with contract workers, mostly Eastern European nationals, with many originating from countries that have recently joined the European Union. These staff are effective and efficient, although there can be language problems. To overcome these, Irish Ferries very soon had all but non-standard announcements recorded by someone with the perfectly balanced light Irish accent we’re used to hearing on radio and TV. The ship’s Captains always seems to be from Ireland or the UK, as they talk to passengers with their brief departure and arrival announcements over the public address system.
What hasn’t changed on the route are the friendly welcomes at the drive-by check-in desks (these are a very helpful feature), in Pembroke Dock, or in Rosslare on the return journey. On checking in, if you’re a regular traveller like myself and they know of your disabilities, they will ask if you need any assistance before confirming your booking and issuing a boarding pass. Indeed, I think that the long-serving Welsh or Irish shore staff are a vital part of the service.
When it comes to boarding the vessel, a special lane is reserved for vehicles where passengers have notified the staff that they need help. As they drive on board, with hazard lights flashing as a signal, the energetic deck staff direct the vehicles to parking areas very close to the passenger lifts. For anyone who finds stairs difficult, this is immensely helpful. Once on the ship, I head for Deck 7 where the main reception desk is to be found, along with a Bureau de Change. Don’t forget the Irish Republic is in the Euro zone, although they accept Sterling and the Euro on board ship! On Deck 7 there’s a large disabled-friendly toilet almost right next to the Reception point. I then find somewhere, not far away in the middle section of Deck 7 to settle down for the trip – always better in rough weather! However, having served in the Royal Navy, I can say that for a roll-on roll-off ferry she’s a great ‘sea keeper’!
A truly beautiful route
It takes about an hour or so to sail down the truly beautiful Milford Haven, passing the modern oil refineries, the gigantic new natural gas plant, the historic Napoleonic War fortifications and the various islands off the Pembrokeshire coast. The scenery is one of the reasons I enjoy this trip so much, with its four hour crossing. However, ferries can be affected by tides and headwinds, often suffering delays.
The first sign that Rosslare is close by is when the Tuskar Rock lighthouse, operated by the Commissioners of Irish Lights, is passed on the port side. This means that within the hour, I’ll usually have left the ship and be driving from Rosslare Harbour towards Wexford City. Rosslare is an excellent entry point into the Irish Republic and there are relatively good roads to all points of the compass which are improving all the time, often being up-graded to dual carriageway. But beware, some of the National (N) and Regional (R) roads have a habit of going from an excellent surface to rough, sometimes with little warning.
Irish route distances are officially all metric nowadays, although I’m personally convinced that on some really rural roads the local signage has just been left in the old miles! Many modern vehicles nowadays can indicate miles per hour or kilometres per hour. If not, the ever helpful SatNav systems offer the choice. This could help you avoid speeding tickets. Yes, the Garda Siochana (the Irish National Police), do employ portable speed traps and the familiar roadside automatic camera is making an appearance, although the Irish, unlike the UK, don’t pretend that they’re ‘Safety Cameras’! They are there to enforce the law! However, like the UK, Irish speed restrictions are complicated. (See ‘More information’ for details).
Make sure you’re covered
Personally, I think it’s essential to have some form of extra breakdown protection that’s provided by motoring organisations. But, whichever motoring organisation you choose, make sure you’re covered as the Irish Republic, unlike Northern Ireland, is often classed as coming under European roadside assistance plans. So, breaking down on the Republic side of the border between Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and Buncrana, County Donegal in the Irish Republic could prove expensive!
Busy roads
For the first time visitor, Irish roads can be quite a surprise as they can be very busy, with the added hazard of slow moving agricultural vehicles liable to appear at any time. There may only be just over four million people living in the Republic but at times they can all seem to be on the road at the same time! Many small towns have kept their unique atmosphere and aren’t by-passed, so hold-ups can occur at peak times and disabled parking spaces aren’t as freely available as they are in the UK.
The traditional roadside lay-by, so familiar here in the UK is quite rare throughout Ireland. When they are found they’re often occupied by travelling families! Fortunately for the traveller though, Ireland seems to have pioneered the roadside-filling station-that-does-everything, years ahead of the UK. They make ideal stop-over points. In fact, literally everywhere I go in Ireland, even to places on the remote far West coast, there seems to be a filling station that comes with excellent facilities, including toilets suitable for disabled people. They often encompass good value for money delicatessens and mini-supermarkets. And, unlike the UK, they don’t charge the premium prices we often have to pay at similar sites. The ubiquitous Tesco store is also now appearing everywhere in Ireland, along with other chain stores. The advantage for disabled travellers is that these stores are always well equipped with disabled parking and toilets.
Finally, before you leave for Ireland don’t forget to take extra time with you – it will be essential. Even so, one visit will never be enough!
More information:
Irish Ferries website: www.irishferries.com
Isle of Inishmore deck plan: www.irishferries.com/ships-inishmore.asp
For Irish speed limit advice and information on Disabled parking regulations: www.citizensinformation.ie
Irish Ferries offer members of Mobilise a 5% discount on all cars and passenger fares including cabins when booked through the Mobilise National Office. Call us to make your booking on 01508 489 449. See our Concessions page for more information on the discounts we offer to our members.
This article first appeared in the September 2009 issue of Mobilise magazine, which goes out to all our members and includes reviews of adapted cars and mobility equipment, features on accessible travel and leisure, campaign updates, news, competitions and real-life stories.
Membership of our charity costs just £16 per year and includes your monthly subscription to Mobilise.
Tags: public transport, travel