Key points:
- Fuel protest convoys are planned on the M1, N2, M3, M4, M7 and N11 from 7:30 on Friday, with participants due to stay in towns and cities until 19:00.
- The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) is not taking part, but says it will not discourage individual drivers from joining.
- Gardaí have warned they will not tolerate blockades of motorways or critical infrastructure during the EU summit in Dublin.
- The N11 and M1 carry much of the freight to and from Rosslare Europort and Northern Ireland, so UK–Ireland traffic could face delays.
Six routes, one long day
The protest is being promoted on social media by a group calling itself People of Ireland Against Fuel Prices. According to the plans circulating online, convoys will set off along the M1, N2, M3, M4, M7 and N11 from 7:30 on Friday. Participants are expected to park up in towns and cities from 9:00 and disperse at 19:00. A march from the GPO to Dublin Castle is also planned.
How many vehicles will turn up is unclear. The organisers of the fuel protests in April told national broadcaster RTÉ that they are not involved in this campaign.
Hauliers’ association stays out
The Irish Road Haulage Association will not take part. Its president Ger Hyland told Midwest Radio that the association “won’t be getting involved in demonstrations this week”. The IRHA says it is focusing on talks with the government about support for the sector, but it will not actively discourage individual truck drivers or farmers from joining.
Hauliers’ frustration has not gone away. Diesel prices remain high, and toll charges on the M50 and in the Dublin Port Tunnel will rise again from January.
Summit security on top
Friday’s convoys coincide with an informal meeting of EU heads of state and government in Dublin. Around 5,000 gardaí are being deployed for the summit, the largest policing operation in the history of the state, and restrictions around the Convention Centre will stay in place until Friday evening.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said there would be “absolutely no toleration” for any blockage of motorways, critical infrastructure or summit venues. The force says it will facilitate lawful, peaceful protest.
The warning comes after the protests in April, when blockades of roads and fuel depots led to several days of disruption and more than 100 filling stations ran out of fuel.
What it means for UK–Ireland freight
The routes chosen for Friday cover most of the main corridors used by international road freight in Ireland:
- N11: the main road between Dublin and Wexford, used by traffic to and from Rosslare Europort and its ferry links to Wales and France.
- M1: the Dublin–Belfast corridor, carrying cross-border freight and traffic from Northern Ireland’s ports.
- M4, M7, N2 and M3: the main routes west, south-west and north-west from Dublin, all feeding the M50 ring road and Dublin Port.
Hauliers with loads arriving on ferries into Dublin Port or Rosslare on Friday should allow extra time, check live traffic updates before sending trucks out, and where possible schedule collections and deliveries outside the protest hours.
