The Cunard line MS Queen Elizabeth docked in Killybegs on Friday last (20 July 2018) to a great welcome from all and the many people who made their way to see the largest cruise ship the Killybegs port has ever seen.
The luxury ship, part of the Cunard Line, is on a cruise around the British and Irish coasts carrying over 2,000 passengers and a crew of nearly 1,000.
Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council Cllr Seamus O’Domhnaill presented the Captain of the ship Mr Aseem Hashmi with an art print of a painting of Kildoney, Ballyshannon by the local artist Barry Sweeny. He was presented by the Captain with a book about the history of the Cunard Line and a ship plaque.
Cllr O’Domhnaill commented afterwards “On behalf of Donegal County Council, Iwas delighted to welcome the MS Queen Elizabeth to Killybegs for the first time and to meet the Captain and the Hotel General manager and also have an opportunity to go on a guided tour of this elegant cruise ship.
“Donegal provides a unique experience for the passengers, many of whom were visiting Ireland (or stepping onto Irish soil) for the first time and took full advantage of the available day trips to local attractions.
He added “I would like to congratulate everyone involved on making this visit of MS Queen Elizabeth such a great success and hope it was the first of many.’
The MS Queen Elizabeth is the larger sister of the Queen Victoria, who visited Killybegs in May. She is just one of the many cruise ships stopping off in Killybegs this year, which brings great trade to the region. Some of the passengers spent their time in Killybegs while others took bus trips to Donegal Town, Sliabh Liag, Glencolmcille and Leo’s Tavern in Crolly”.
The new 300m pier was just perfect to accommodate the 92,000 tonne ship, which at 294m is twice as long as Croke Park. The Queen Elizabeth is the youngest of Cunard’s three ships. She has sailed around the world since her launch in 2010.
She departed on Friday afternoon to Greenock, Scotland and will continue on its cruise back to Southampton from where she left last week.
