Cookie Policy

Last Updated: May 14, 2026

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other internet-enabled device when you visit a website. They are widely used across the internet to make websites work more efficiently, to improve user experience, and to provide website operators with information about how their site is being used.

Cookies are created by the web server that hosts a website and are delivered to your browser. Your browser then stores the cookie as a small file on your device. When you return to the same website, your browser sends the cookie back to the server, allowing the site to recognise you and remember your preferences or actions over time.

Cookies do not contain executable code and cannot carry viruses or install malware on your device. However, they can store unique identifiers that allow websites and third parties to track your online behaviour across different websites and sessions.

There are two main categories of cookies based on how long they remain on your device:

• Session Cookies: These are temporary cookies that are deleted from your device as soon as you close your web browser. They are used to keep track of your movements from page to page within a single browsing session, such as remembering items you have added to a booking or shopping cart.
• Persistent Cookies: These remain on your device for a set period of time (for example, 30 days, 1 year, or 2 years) even after you close your browser. They are activated each time you visit the website that created them.

Cookies can also be categorised as first-party cookies (set by the website you are visiting) or third-party cookies (set by a domain other than the one you are visiting, such as analytics providers or advertising networks).

2. How We Use Cookies

At irishsferries.org, we use cookies to:

• Ensure the website functions correctly and securely
• Remember your preferences and settings between visits
• Understand how visitors navigate and interact with our website
• Improve the performance and user experience of our website
• Deliver relevant advertising to you based on your interests
• Measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
• Facilitate the booking process and maintain the integrity of your sessions
• Prevent fraud and enhance security

We are committed to using cookies responsibly and transparently. Where your consent is required under Irish and EU law, we will request it before placing non-essential cookies on your device. You may withdraw your consent at any time by adjusting your browser settings or using the opt-out tools described later in this policy.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

We categorise the cookies used on irishsferries.org into four main types:

3.1 Essential / Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are absolutely necessary for the website to function properly. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. Without these cookies, services you have asked for — such as completing a ferry booking or logging into your account — cannot be provided. These cookies do not require your consent under applicable law, as they are necessary for the legitimate provision of the service you have requested.

3.2 Analytics / Performance Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. They allow us to measure and improve the performance of our site by identifying which pages are most popular, how visitors move through the site, and whether they encounter any error messages. The information collected by these cookies is aggregated and therefore anonymous — we cannot use it to identify you personally without additional data.

We use Google Analytics to collect this data. Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. The information generated by these cookies about your use of our website (including your IP address, which is anonymised) is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google uses this information to evaluate your use of the website and to compile reports on website activity. You can learn more about Google's privacy practices at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

3.3 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies allow our website to remember choices you make and provide enhanced, personalised features. For example, they may remember your language preference, your selected departure port, or the currency you prefer to view prices in. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised, and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

3.4 Advertising / Targeting Cookies

Advertising cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and to help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. They remember that you have visited a website and this information may be shared with other organisations such as advertisers. We use Google Ads cookies for this purpose. These cookies require your explicit consent before being placed on your device.

4. Specific Cookies Used on irishsferries.org

The table below provides detailed information about the specific cookies used on our website, including their purpose, type, and duration.

Please note: The list above may not be exhaustive. Third-party services may update their cookies periodically. We review and update this table regularly to ensure accuracy.

5. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on irishsferries.org are placed by third-party services that appear on our pages. We do not control these third-party cookies and they are governed by the privacy and cookie policies of the respective third parties. The main third parties whose cookies may be present on our website include:

• Google LLC — for analytics (Google Analytics) and advertising (Google Ads). For more information, visit Google's Cookie Policy.
• Meta Platforms, Inc. (Facebook) — for social media integration and targeted advertising. For more information, visit Facebook's Cookie Policy.

We encourage you to review the cookie policies of these third parties for more information about how they use cookies and how you can manage your preferences with them directly.

6. How to Manage and Disable Cookies

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can exercise your cookie preferences in several ways:

6.1 Our Cookie Consent Tool

When you first visit irishsferries.org, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. This tool allows you to accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or customise your preferences by category (analytics, functional, advertising). You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link available in the footer of our website.

6.2 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences. You can set your browser to refuse all cookies, accept only certain types of cookies, or to alert you when a website tries to place a cookie on your device. Instructions for managing cookies in the most commonly used browsers are available at the links below:

• Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647
• Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/cookies-information-websites-store-on-your-computer
• Microsoft Edge: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge
• Safari (Mac): https://support.apple.com/en-ie/guide/safari/sfri11471/mac
• Safari (iPhone/iPad): https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT201265
• Opera: https://help.opera.com/en/latest/web-preferences/#cookies

Please note that if you use multiple browsers or devices, you will need to manage your cookie settings on each one separately.

6.3 Opt-Out Tools Provided by Third Parties

You can also opt out of specific third-party cookies directly through the tools provided by those organisations:

• Google Analytics Opt-Out: You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting data about your visits by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
• Google Ads Personalisation: You can manage or opt out of personalised Google advertising at https://adssettings.google.com.
• Facebook / Meta Ad Preferences: You can manage your ad preferences on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences/.
• Your Online Choices (EU): You can opt out of interest-based advertising from many participating companies through the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA) at https://www.youronlinechoices.com/ie/.
• Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): Opt out of targeted advertising from NAI member companies at https://optout.networkadvertising.org/.

7. Impact of Disabling Cookies

While you are free to restrict or disable cookies, please be aware that doing so may affect your experience on irishsferries.org. The following outlines the potential impact of disabling cookies by type:

8. Cookies and Your Privacy Rights Under Irish and EU Law

The use of cookies is governed by several pieces of legislation in Ireland and the European Union, including:

• The General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), which sets out principles for the lawful processing of personal data, including data collected via cookies.
• The ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC), as transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Privacy and Electronic Communications) Regulations 2011, which governs the use of cookies and requires consent for non-essential cookies.
• The Data Protection Acts 1988–2018, which complement the GDPR in Ireland and are overseen by the Data Protection Commission (DPC).

Under these laws, you have the following rights in relation to personal data processed through cookies:

• The right to be informed about how your data is used
• The right of access to personal data held about you
• The right to have inaccurate data corrected
• The right to have your data erased in certain circumstances ("the right to be forgotten")
• The right to restrict processing of your data
• The right to data portability
• The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Rights related to automated decision-making and profiling

To exercise any of these rights, or if you have concerns about how we use cookies, please contact us using the details below. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (DPC) at www.dataprotection.ie.

9. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, our business operations, or our use of cookies. Any changes we make will be posted on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. Where changes are significant, we may also notify you more prominently, such as by displaying a notice on our homepage or sending an email notification where we hold your contact details.

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are using cookies. Your continued use of irishsferries.org after any changes to this policy will constitute your acceptance of those changes, subject to your right to adjust your cookie preferences at any time.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We will do our best to respond to all enquiries within a reasonable timeframe.