A blockade near Rosslare Europort is disrupting freight operations, with significant delays expected once the port fully reopens.
Protesters established the blockade at Kilrain, around one mile from the port, early on Thursday morning.
Only passenger vehicles are currently being allowed through the checkpoint. Freight access has been halted.
For a brief period on Thursday, accompanied pharmaceutical shipments were permitted to pass. That access was withdrawn later in the afternoon.
A tailback of trucks stretching one mile has now formed on approach routes.
Port sources warned of mounting pressure on capacity. “We have two ships arriving tomorrow and early Monday morning,” a spokesperson said. “Once they offload, we will have no further capacity.”
The same source added that vessels may be forced to remain at anchor offshore or divert to alternative ports if congestion continues.
Even after the blockade is lifted, disruption is expected to persist. Clearing the backlog will take time before normal freight intake can resume.
Temporary capacity restrictions may also be introduced during the recovery period, further extending delays.
As Afloat reported earlier, ferries have been warned they could be turned away from the port.
