Film and energy deals made as france-ireland brexit boom gathers pace

EXTRA FERRY CROSSINGS, A RAIL-FERRY COMBINED TICKET, A NEW CONSULATE AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS ARE ALSO AMONG NEW LINKS BEING FORGED New links between France and Ireland, one of the most

obvious ‘Brexit benefits’ – for Ireland, at least – continue to be forged. These include new ferry services and travel deals, a film industry partnership, and a 575km electricity cable under

the sea. Ireland began pursuing closer links in 2019 when it announced a new ‘strategy for France’. In 2021, the two signed a joint action plan, which Taoi­seach Leo Varadkar and President

Macron recently discussed again over lunch at the Élysée. This year saw an Irish consulate open in Lyon and the chairman of Brit­tany Ferries Jean-Marc Roué become honorary Irish consul in

Roscoff. READ MORE: FERRIES BOSS TAKES ON IRISH CONSUL ROLE TO BOOST LINKS WITH BRITTANY EXPANDING TRADE ROUTES Links between French and Irish ports have reportedly quadrupled in less than

two years as hauliers opt for sea route deliveries to and from France instead of via the UK ‘land bridge’. Recently, representatives from the Port of Dunkirk visited Ireland to discuss a

“significant” expansion of trade routes, aiming at stronger links with Dublin and Rosslare and routes for the first time with Cork and Waterford. Rosslare says EU freight coming through the

port is already up 370% compared to 2019. FERRY-TRAIN TICKET DEAL A Rosslare-Dunkirk freight ferry route was launched in 2020 by Danish firm DFDS, which in 2022 started trialling a passenger

service as the trade route had been “extremely popular”. Swedish firm Stena Line started a new Rosslare-Cherbourg freight-only service last year alongside its existing passenger service. It

says a new large combined freight-passenger ferry will replace the freight ferry in June, doubling sailing frequency for passengers and tripling passenger capacity. France and Ireland are

also set to launch a new combined ferry-train ticket deal that can be used in both countries from summer 2023, meaning one ticket can cover a complete journey. It comes as Brittany Ferries

announced passengers being down 35% in 2022 on Channel routes compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic/Brexit) but up 46% on its France-Ireland routes. READ MORE: BRITTANY FERRIES REPORTS BETTER YEAR

AFTER 'GHASTLY' COVID PERIOD Seven French and Irish universities made an agreement on closer cooperation in 2021. CABLE WILL INCREASE ELECTRICITY EXPORTS BOTH WAYS A spokesman for

the Irish embassy in Paris said the Celtic Interconnector cable was another key deal, though the idea pre-dates Brexit. A financing and construction agreement was signed in Paris in November

in a €1.6billion partnership between Irish state electricity operator EirGrid and RTE France. “The cable will go from Cork to Brittany, with construction beginning in 2023. It should be

operational by 2026. Ireland will export renewable energy to France and vice versa. “We have this with the UK too but find that when it’s windy there, it’s windy in Ireland, but that is not

true of France. “So, by having wind and demand at different times, we will be able to increase exports both ways,” the spokesman said. BREXIT NOT SOLE FACTOR IN CLOSER TIES The cinema deal

will mean joint French-Irish productions in either country will be eligible for funding from both. “It will facilitate the development of talent and the local industries.” READ MORE: IRISH

FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES FRENCH CINEMA WITH HISTORIC FRENCH SHIP The spokesman said Brexit is “definitely a major factor” in the increasing links, though there are “other dimensions”. For

example, he said Ireland joined the UN Security Council in 2021, meaning France and Ireland are now the only EU members to sit on it, which has also led to closer cooperation. Ireland will

also open its first embassy in French-speaking west Africa, in Dakar, in 2023. RELATED ARTICLES ‘FRANCE-UK ‘DÉTENTE’ ONLY POSSIBLE IF NORTHERN IRELAND ISSUE RESOLVED’ CELTIC NATIONS DESCEND

ON FRANCE TO CELEBRATE SHARED ANCESTRY RYANAIR’S €8.67MILLION FINE FOR ‘IRISH LAW WORKERS’ IN FRANCE UPHELD