Greenore to Greencastle Ferry
The Carlingford Lough Ferry between Greenore, County Louth and Greencastle, County Down is one of Ireland's hidden time-savers. What would be a 90-minute drive up around Newry (via A1 or M1) becomes a 15-minute crossing. Locals on both sides of the Cooley Peninsula have known about it for years — driving from Carlingford village to Kilkeel takes 20 min via ferry instead of 90 min via land. Also useful for Belfast → Dublin road-trippers who want to break the M1 slog with 30 min on the water.
Crossing time
15 min
Price range
EUR 10-15 foot passenger · EUR 30-45 car with driver
Cars
Allowed
Frequency
Every 45 min · 07:30-19:30 summer · 07:30-16:30 winter
Time saved vs land route
1h 15m saved
Land alternative: Via Newry / A1 — 1.5h
Ferry operators on this route
Carlingford Ferry
Year-round · reduced winter · weather-dependent
Best for
- 1Cooley Peninsula (Carlingford, Omeath) → Mourne Mountains (Kilkeel, Newcastle) shortcut
- 2Belfast → Dublin road-trippers wanting to break the M1
- 3Cyclists on the Táin Trail continuing into NI
- 4Avoiding potential Brexit border checks (as a ferry is a soft-border crossing)
Booking + prices
Prices
EUR 10-15 foot passenger · EUR 30-45 car with driver
Vehicle allowed: Yes
Pets allowed: Yes
How to book
Direct Ferries does not currently list this route — book directly with Carlingford Ferry.
Hotels either side of the crossing
Find hotels in Greenore
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Find hotels in Greencastle
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FAQs — Greenore to Greencastle
How much time does the Greenore-Greencastle ferry actually save?
Roughly 75 minutes vs driving around via Newry / A1. What's a 90-min drive becomes a 15-min crossing + 5 min loading. Total ~20 min door-to-door.
Do I need to book the ferry in advance?
For foot passengers: no. For vehicles: recommended in summer + weekends. Book via carlingfordferry.com. Turn-up-and-sail usually works midweek.
Does the ferry run in winter?
Yes but reduced schedule (07:30-16:30) + weather-dependent. Check the operator's Facebook for real-time weather cancellations.
Can I bring my dog on the ferry?
Yes — dogs on lead permitted in the passenger area. Free.