The Carlingford Lough Ferry, which links Greencastle in County Down with Greenore in County Louth, will not operate any sailings in 2026. The operator confirmed the suspension late last month.

At a Newry, Mourne and Down District Council meeting on Monday, Councillor Henry Reilly (DUP) asked the council to establish a taskforce to examine ways to help sustain the service. He said the ferry had been developing into a valuable tourist facility connecting Louth and the Mourne area. He added that previous concerns about the ferry's impact on the Narrow Water Bridge project no longer applied.

Council chief executive Marie Ward advised that the matter was not on the meeting agenda and would be considered by officials for referral to the relevant committee. Council chairperson Glyn Hanna said the issue would be looked into.

Separately, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins responded to an Assembly question from SDLP MLA Justin McNulty, stating that her department has no governance or financial involvement with the ferry service. She said she was not aware of the reason for the suspension and that Carlingford Lough Ferry is owned and operated by Frazer Ferries Ltd.