The
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
separates
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
and the island of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. The sea has been a significant trade and communications barrier between the two islands for centuries as there is no fixed crossing across it. In 2013, 7.6 megatons of trade was handled between British and Irish ports, and
ferry crossings remain the most important link for
heavy goods vehicles. Ferry services have continued to be significant, and 3.6 million passengers use these annually.
The main operators across the Irish Sea are
P&O Ferries,
Irish Ferries
Irish Ferries is an Irish ferry and transport company that operates passenger and freight services on routes between Ireland, Britain and Continental Europe, including Dublin Port–Holyhead; Rosslare Europort to Pembroke as well as Dublin ...
,
Stena Line and the
Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms.
Isle may refer to:
Geography
* Is ...
.
Current
Historic
See also
*
Irish Sea fixed crossing
References
Notes
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Crossings Of The Irish Sea
Irish Sea
Lists of ferry routes