Some ferries between Dublin and Holyhead have been cancelled or delayed due to “technical” issues, affecting Welsh rugby fans returning after a weekend away following Wales’ Six Nations defeat to Ireland.
Stena blamed Sunday’s disruption on a “technical issue” with a vessel in Holyhead, Anglesey.
Irish Ferries said its Ulysses sailing had been unable to berth at Holyhead at 11:00 GMT due to “extraordinary reasons”, but did not elaborate, with later sailings also affected.
Passengers have been advised to check before travelling. A Stena service is currently scheduled to leave Dublin for Holyhead at 22:30 GMT.
The UK’s second busiest passenger port reopened fully in July 2025 after repairs were completed following damage to two berths caused by Storm Darragh – that battered the country in December 2024.
It was closed for five weeks, including at Christmas and new year, as engineers fixed one of the damaged berths, partially reopened in January 2025 with services resumed to a revised timetable.
The other berth took seven months to repair, with the economic impact of the closures an estimated £500m in lost trade.
More than 1.5m people pass through Holyhead every year making it the most popular sea route between the UK mainland and the Republic of Ireland.
How important is Holyhead Port?
At just over 100 miles (161km) between Holyhead and Dublin, the three-hour and 15-minute crossing from north Wales is the quickest route between the UK mainland and the Republic of Ireland.
With more than 400,000 lorries and 400,000 cars using it every year, Holyhead is the second busiest passenger ferry port to Dover.
It is Wales’ biggest international transport hub with almost double the amount of annual passengers of Wales’ only major airport in Cardiff.
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