People planning overnight ferry trips from Britain to Ireland turned back

Passenger travel is not permitted on services from the UK into the Republic of Ireland for the next 48 hours.

Hundreds of people planning to sail from Britain to Ireland on overnight ferries were told to turn back last night.

The last passengers and private cars allowed cross arrived in Dublin before the midnight deadline.

A ban on flights and ferries coming into Ireland was introduced after a new variant of coronavirus was discovered in parts of the UK.


British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that the new variant was up to 70% more transmissible than the original strain as he put London and parts of the South East and East of England into a two-week Christmas lockdown.

Stena Line is offering refunds to more than 1,400 passengers who were booked to sail into Dublin and Rosslare today and tomorrow.

A spokesperson for the liner, Simon Palmer, said it can only carry haulage for now.

He said: “We’re afraid so, if you’re due to sail out of Holyhead of Fishguard over the next 48 hours, we’re afraid we will not be able to take you unless you are listed as an essential worker on the list that the Government has published.” 

Mr Palmer added: “We will be allowing refunds, we will be allowing rebookings, or we can accommodate them on other services.

“But at the moment we cannot take [passengers] on Holyhead into Dublin or Fishguard in Rosslare"

The company said in a statement that: “For at least the next 48 hours from midnight tonight [December 21], passenger travel is not permitted on our services from the UK into the Republic of Ireland. Except for essential supply chain workers.

“This affects our Holyhead to Dublin and our Fishguard to Rosslare services.” 

Essential workers include: 

• Deck Officers, 
• Engineering Officers and ETOs, 
• Deck Ratings, 
• Engine Ratings, 
• Pursers, 
• Hotel/Catering Ratings, 
• Cleaners, 
• Contracted technicians, 
• Marine Pilot and HGV Drivers and/or persons holding an EU Annex 3 International Transport Worker Certificate

The travel ban on flights and ferries from the UK was announced on Sunday and will run for 48 hours.

The cabinet is expected to review the situation when it meets on Tuesday.

Other European countries have also imposed restrictions on travel from the UK.

France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands have all said they will halt flights arriving from the UK.

The Czech Republic, meanwhile, has imposed stricter quarantine measures for people arriving from Britain.

On Sunday night, “whoops of joy” could be heard at Heathrow Airport, after hundreds of passengers travelling to Ireland were given the “green light” to fly to Dublin ahead of the travel ban.