Mr Kenny was with Cairn Homes until early 2020, having joined it in 2017. He had previously worked with Musgrave, the retail group that controls the SuperValu and Centra brands.
In 2011, following its acquisition of Superquinn, Musgrave appointed Mr Kenny as managing director of a newly-created division, Musgrave Operating Partners. He was responsible for integrating the Superquinn business into the Musgrave group.
The Irish Independent revealed earlier this month that Mr Goodman, son of ‘beef baron’ Larry Goodman and chairman of ABP Food Group, is now backing the launch of the Hibernia Line ferry service.
The company behind the planned service is being steered by a Cork-based transport executive, Aidan Coffey. He has been working for more than three years to establish a freight and passenger ferry service that will operate between Cork and Boulogne-sur-Mer, near Calais.
Hibernia Line is being supported by a new Jersey-based firm controlled by the Goodmans. It has made a €20m debenture available to the ferry firm and is the majority shareholder.
The vessel currently has capacity for 550 passengers and 531 cars
The other shareholder in Hibernia Line is a Dublin company, Funnel Down. Its shareholders include Peter Stolk, a former head of ports for P&O Ferries.
Mr Coffey has been planning six sailings a week Cork and France, using two roll-on/roll-off ferries.
Estonia’s Tallink Group recently signed a long-term charter agreement for a vessel called Superfast IX that it is believed will be used by Hibernia Line. The initial agreement is for 36 months, with an option to purchase the vessel.
Superfast IX will undergo scheduled maintenance in Finland from April 3 to April 18 and is expected to be handed over on May 1 in Tallinn.
The Superfast IX vessel that Hibernia Line is believed to have chartered from Estonia’s Tallink Group
The vessel currently has capacity for 550 passengers and 531 cars, and has 179 cabins. It has space for 2,425 lane metres of cargo.
In 2024, Mr Coffey sought to raise €9m for the Hibernia Line project via an Employment Investment Incentive Scheme. The proposal envisaged a two-ship operation and annual freight and passenger revenues of more than €100m.
It told potential investors it expected to increase annual turnover to more than €500m within five years of start-up.
“Management will achieve this with the introduction five routes in five years,” the 2024 prospectus said.
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