Originally Posted by Tom the Tenor
I have heard a rumor again today about a seasonal ferry service from Spain to Cork next year. The port being mentioned is Santander. Dont know if it will start but if it is it would need to be announced some time soon for early bookings for next year. Then again, the economy is hardly in the right state for such a ambitious project. Look at the effort that has gone into getting the Cork Swansea service going again for next year!
Have always had a bit of a curiousity whether a seasonal air route between Cork and Bilbao would work. Down the years most of the Spanish teenagers that arrived in Cork for language exchange programmes have come from the Basque Country and it is something that I have always felt would work for about eight weeks in the summer given half a chance.
I think the ferry destination is Gijon or was when first announced a couple of years ago before the economy went to pot. The interesting thing is that while I expected it to die a death, it was mentioned a couple of months ago by the CHC's Michael McCarthy that they were still actively pursuing it, so it is definitely "live". The CHC were instrumental in getting the Cork Swansea back.
As regards an airport, I always though Toulouse would be the best chance of a SW France/Northern Spain link, with it having a large hinterland population and being so central.