Easter Sunday travel plans were thrown into disarray as Storm Dave barrelled across Ireland overnight, bringing gusts of up to 110 km/h, sleet on higher ground and widespread power outages. Met Éireann kept a nationwide Status Yellow wind warning in force until mid-afternoon on 5 April, while ESB Networks reported more than 42,000 customers without electricity at the height of the storm. Dublin Airport, which had been gearing up for its busiest weekend of the year, managed to keep its runways open but warned passengers to expect knock-on delays. By midday, at least 27 departures—mainly short-haul services to the UK and continental Europe—had been cancelled, and airlines told travellers booked for later in the day to check apps and email alerts before leaving home.
![Storm Dave Grounds Flights and Knocks Out Power Across Ireland on Easter Sunday]()
Travellers scrambling to rearrange itineraries should also double-check entry requirements: VisaHQ’s Irish portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can fast-track visa amendments or fresh applications for those whose documents might expire before their rescheduled arrival dates, and the platform’s live chat advisers can guide corporate travel managers through multi-country routes when weather disruptions force detours.
Aer Lingus and Ryanair both activated ‘bad-weather’ waivers allowing free rebooking within seven days. Ferry operators Irish Ferries and Stena Line cancelled multiple sailings on the Dublin–Holyhead, Rosslare–Pembroke and Rosslare–Cherbourg routes, citing wave heights of up to six metres in the Irish Sea. Iarnród Éireann imposed speed restrictions on coastal rail sections between Bray and Greystones and along the Ennis–Galway corridor, adding up to 40 minutes to journey times. The timing could hardly be worse for global companies rotating staff after the long weekend. Relocation specialists told Global Mobility News that several assignees due to start projects in Cork and Galway on Tuesday will now arrive late, forcing temporary accommodation extensions and rescheduled orientation sessions. Employers are being advised to invoke force-majeure clauses in assignment letters and ensure assignees have travel insurance that covers weather disruptions. Met Éireann expects conditions to improve overnight, but warned that fallen trees and debris could cause lingering delays on Monday. With another Atlantic low due mid-week, contingency planning remains essential for corporate travel managers.
Travellers scrambling to rearrange itineraries should also double-check entry requirements: VisaHQ’s Irish portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can fast-track visa amendments or fresh applications for those whose documents might expire before their rescheduled arrival dates, and the platform’s live chat advisers can guide corporate travel managers through multi-country routes when weather disruptions force detours.
Aer Lingus and Ryanair both activated ‘bad-weather’ waivers allowing free rebooking within seven days. Ferry operators Irish Ferries and Stena Line cancelled multiple sailings on the Dublin–Holyhead, Rosslare–Pembroke and Rosslare–Cherbourg routes, citing wave heights of up to six metres in the Irish Sea. Iarnród Éireann imposed speed restrictions on coastal rail sections between Bray and Greystones and along the Ennis–Galway corridor, adding up to 40 minutes to journey times. The timing could hardly be worse for global companies rotating staff after the long weekend. Relocation specialists told Global Mobility News that several assignees due to start projects in Cork and Galway on Tuesday will now arrive late, forcing temporary accommodation extensions and rescheduled orientation sessions. Employers are being advised to invoke force-majeure clauses in assignment letters and ensure assignees have travel insurance that covers weather disruptions. Met Éireann expects conditions to improve overnight, but warned that fallen trees and debris could cause lingering delays on Monday. With another Atlantic low due mid-week, contingency planning remains essential for corporate travel managers.
