The main tourist routes of the West of Ireland's Shannon Region are linked via the Killimer-Tarbert car ferry. This pleasant, 20-minute journey across the Shannon Estuary will save 85 miles (137 km) from ferry terminal to ferry terminal providing a staging point for the many attractions of Clare, Kerry and adjoining counties.

The long-awaited link between Clare and Kerry came to pass on the 29th of May 1969 with the official opening of the new ferry service. It was established when a group of local businessmen saw an opening for a reliable ferry service across the Estuary.

ShannonFerry Group Ltd, the company that runs the service, started with one ferry, the Shannon Heather, which is currently in service on the Passage East crossing in Co. Waterford. It was replaced in the mid-1980s by the Shannon Willow, which is currently in service on the Foyle estuary.

Two vessels currently operate on the route, the Shannon Breeze, which runs all-year-round and the Shannon Dolphin, which operates during the peak period from May to September and covers maintenance. They are ro-ro (roll on-roll off) ferries, so called for the ease by which vehicles can board and leave.

The company runs a 364-day service with three schedules: winter schedule starts at 7.00 am each morning from Killimer and 7.30 am from Tarbert. It operates hourly on the hour until 7.00pm from Killimer and hourly on the half hour from Tarbert until 7.30pm. From 1 April, the evening sailings are extended to 9.00 pm in Killimer and 9.30 pm, with the Shannon Breeze operating an hourly schedule. From mid-May, they run every half hour from Killimer between the hours of 10.00 am and 6.00 pm and from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm from Tarbert.

To facilitate the smooth running of the services Shannon Ferries’ vessels are modern and purpose built. The Shannon Breeze was built in 2000 in the Britain and has the capacity to carry 60 cars. Its front and rear design allows for fast loading and unloading. The Shannon Dolphin was built in 1995. It has the capacity to carry 52 cars and is similar in design to the Shannon Breeze. Both vessels have the capacity to carry 350 passengers.

The ferry service receives considerable support from the haulage industry. Each ferry can accommodate eight or 10 trucks at a time. ShannonFerry Group’s biggest users are Kerry Co-Op and Golden Vale. Their milk trucks use the service on a daily basis. Upwards on 20 trucks use the service every day.

The majority of the company’s business (60 per cent) takes place in the months of June through to the end of September, which coincides with the peak tourism season. At off peak periods the company employs a fulltime staff of 17, which rises to 25 during the summer months. The shops are operated by an independent company, which employs another five or six people.