The Jonathan Swift (also known as the Dublin Swift), is a high speed catamaran that is currently owned and
The Jonathan Swift
operated by the Irish ferry company Irish Ferries. She was built in 1999 by Austal Ships in Australia for the company where she was named as the Jonathan Swift and placed on the route that links Holyhead with Dublin. She can cross the Irish Sea in just under two hours. She was joined with the newer cruise ferry Ulysses to serve this route. The Jonathan Swift is named after the famous Irish author, Jonathan Swift. She has six sister ships, the Tanger Jet II, the Adnan Menderes, the Turgut Ozal, the Lilia Concepcion, the Villum Clausen and the Carmen Ernsetina. On August 22 2011 the HSC Jonathan Swift crossed on a bad day. There was a big storm during the crossing with waves reaching 2.5 metres. Plates were smashing and people hiding under tables and clinging onto chairs. Irish Ferries said that the Jonathan Swift would only be taken out of service if the waves reach 3.6 metres. The Jonathan Swift's current port of registry is Limassol, Cyprus.
On the 30th of January 2018, Irish Continental Group announced that the Jonathan Swift was to be sold to Balearia Eurolineas Maritimas S.A (Balearia) for a sum of €15.5m. The Swift is scheduled to be delivered to Balearia by the end of April 2018 and will be replaced on the Dublin to Holyhead route by Westpac Express.
Trivia[]
- The Jonathan Swift made a slight cameo appearance on the programme Built from Disaster, but was only distinguished by the Irish Ferries logo on her bow.