Stena Line’s high-capacity ferry ‘Stena Estrid’ clipped a concrete dolphin while docking at Holyhead’s Terminal 3 at dawn on 7 January, prompting a full closure of Britain’s second-busiest roll-on/roll-off port for safety inspections. All 610 passengers disembarked safely, but several sailings on the Dublin–Holyhead corridor were diverted or cancelled, disrupting the movement of fresh food and just-in-time pharmaceuticals.
Port engineers completed underwater surveys within 36 hours and the harbour master cleared the berth to reopen at 17:30 on 7 January. Stena Nordica has been drafted in to cover the schedule while the ‘Estrid’ undergoes dry-dock repairs expected to last two weeks. Irish Ferries services continued but faced backlog delays of up to three hours as they absorbed overflow freight.
![Holyhead Port Reopens After Ferry Berthing Mishap, Restoring Critical Dublin–UK Freight and Passenger Corridor]()
Travellers using this corridor sometimes connect onward to mainland Europe, where differing entry rules can catch people out. VisaHQ’s Irish platform (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) lets motorists and freight drivers instantly check visa requirements for France, Belgium and other EU destinations, place applications online and even arrange courier collection—helpful when unexpected port disruptions leave little margin for admin.
The incident underscores the vulnerability of Ireland’s ‘land-bridge’ supply chain to single-point failures. Approximately 44 % of Irish exports to continental Europe transit Holyhead by road before crossing the Channel. Logistics firms advise shippers to build extra buffer into lead times, especially with Storm Goretti still affecting Irish Sea operations.
For travellers, normal passenger sailings have resumed, but booked motorists should monitor texts from operators in case weather or repair work forces further adjustments. ([travelextra.ie](https://www.travelextra.ie/holyhead-port-in-wales-reopens-after-berthing-incident/))
Port engineers completed underwater surveys within 36 hours and the harbour master cleared the berth to reopen at 17:30 on 7 January. Stena Nordica has been drafted in to cover the schedule while the ‘Estrid’ undergoes dry-dock repairs expected to last two weeks. Irish Ferries services continued but faced backlog delays of up to three hours as they absorbed overflow freight.
Travellers using this corridor sometimes connect onward to mainland Europe, where differing entry rules can catch people out. VisaHQ’s Irish platform (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) lets motorists and freight drivers instantly check visa requirements for France, Belgium and other EU destinations, place applications online and even arrange courier collection—helpful when unexpected port disruptions leave little margin for admin.
The incident underscores the vulnerability of Ireland’s ‘land-bridge’ supply chain to single-point failures. Approximately 44 % of Irish exports to continental Europe transit Holyhead by road before crossing the Channel. Logistics firms advise shippers to build extra buffer into lead times, especially with Storm Goretti still affecting Irish Sea operations.
For travellers, normal passenger sailings have resumed, but booked motorists should monitor texts from operators in case weather or repair work forces further adjustments. ([travelextra.ie](https://www.travelextra.ie/holyhead-port-in-wales-reopens-after-berthing-incident/))
