Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
transport update
Some motorways remain blocked and public transport disrupted due to remaining protests
The M50 was cleared overnight but three protests remain in place on Ireland’s motorways – some blocking both directions.
LAST UPDATE | 12 Apr
GARDAÍ HAVE CLEARED fuel protesters from a number of roads across the country, including Dublin’s M50 motorway, but a number of protests and road closures remain in place on Sunday evening.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland has said that three blockades remain in place on Ireland’s motorways.
Between 50 and 70 trucks, many with their hoists extended into the sky and some with tricolours attached, are maintaining a barricade in Kildare between junction 7 and 8 of the N7.
Some public transport remains disrupted by the protests and blockades, despite the garda operation overnight to dismantle a large number of the blockades.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland has warned that protests are currently blocking three motorways around the country and urged people to use different routes for journeys.
“Significant delays to your journey are likely to occur,” TII said in a post on social media. “Please use a different route for your journey.”
The motorways currently impacted are the M1, M8, and M11. The M1 is blockaded at Junction 18 (Carlingford) southbound, while the M8 is closed on both lanes for a large part of the motorway stretching through multiple junctions.
The M11/N11 is closed between Gorey and Courtown southbound.
The blockade on Dublin’s M50, the biggest motorway in the country, was cleared in the early hours of this morning.
The full list of impacted motorways can be seen here. Transport Infrastructure Ireland also has a map on its website showing the location of all the closed roads.
Dublin Bus has a full list of cancelled services, route diversions, and changes of terminuses here.
As of Sunday evening, a number of services on Dublin’s northside travelling to the southside are only going as far as Mountjoy Square or Parnell Square. On the other side of the city, a number of services on the southside are terminating at Stephen’s Green or Merrion Square.
Dublin’s Luas Red Line is still only running as far as Smithfield, with no service running between that stop and The Point due to the garda operation in the city centre.
The Green Line is not operating between St Stephen’s Green and Dominick, with the service only running between Broombridge and Dominick and between St Stephen’s Green and Brides Glen.
Bus Éireann services in and around Galway city remain disrupted today due to the protest there. Potential passengers can follow the list of disruptions here and see real-time information about buses here.
An emergency meeting of the Cabinet took place at 4pm today, after which a €505m package of fuel supports was announced.
An Garda Síochána cleared a blockade of the Whitegate oil refinery in Co Cork on Saturday afternoon and vowed to implement further enhanced enforcement actions.
This morning they announced all blockades in Dublin had been cleared following an overnight operation on O’Connell Street.
The Whitegate operation saw physical clashes between protesters and gardai, who used pepper spray during the hour-long operation which resecured access for fuel trucks.
Gardaí were later called to a similar action at Galway harbour, where hundreds of protesters gathered in pouring rain while restricting access to a fuel depot by blocking the way with tractors.
Members of the public order unit, wearing protective gear and batons, were at the scene for hours overnight.
have your say