IrelandExplainer

Holyhead Port closure: Will it impact people coming home for Christmas?

You may face a stressful time ahead, but An Post is confident it can handle the parcel backlog

The docking berths at the Welsh port of Holyhead were very badly damaged by Storm Darragh last weekend and it has been closed since. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP
The docking berths at the Welsh port of Holyhead were very badly damaged by Storm Darragh last weekend and it has been closed since. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP
Conor Pope's picture
Conor Pope
Fri Dec 13 2024 - 15:13

What is going on over in Holyhead?

The docking berths at the Welsh port were very badly damaged by Storm Darragh last weekend and it has been closed since.

And that is bad news?

Yes, it is, and it has come at the worst possible time. Holyhead is the most important passenger and trade route between Ireland and Britain and the closure almost immediately saw a huge amount of goods due to make their way across the Irish Sea in the run-up to Christmas becoming stuck on the wrong side of the water.

What do you mean huge?

Well, we are talking about hundreds of thousands of parcels, a large amount of electronics, pharmaceutical products, food and a whole lot more.

When will the port reopen?

“Safety is of paramount importance to Holyhead Port and a thorough investigation into the extent of the damage and repairs required is ongoing,” a spokesman has said. “At this point, it is estimated that the berths will reopen for ferry traffic on Thursday December 19th at the earliest.” Haulage industry sources suggest it may not be fully functional until after Christmas.

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What is the Government doing?

In a statement, the Department of Transport said it was continuing “to liaise with all stakeholders, including other national ports, to address the ongoing challenges to the supply chain”.

What does all this mean to me?

It may mean nothing, but if you are waiting for parcels originating in the UK you might face a stressful time in the days ahead as you wonder if they are going to arrive on time. The chaos has been hard to miss in recent days, with a backlog of 500,000 parcels destined for Irish customers quickly building up.

The good news is that An Post is used to handling huge volumes over Christmas. All its senior executives have been downplaying the impact of the Holyhead closure – or at least assuring people that it would do its best to manage the situation. It is confident it will get on top of the parcel mountain in the days ahead. And the backlog fell from 500,000 to 150,000 overnight as other routes were used by haulage companies. An Post has said that as long as products arrive in Ireland before December 21st, they will make it to people’s homes.

[ Holyhead Port damage: Have your Christmas present parcels been delayed? ]

What if I am about to shop with a company based in Britain?

You should think very carefully. While there are reasons to be cheerful that products already en route will make it on time, it is quite another story for orders that are placed from here on in. It is important to check with online retailers if they will be able to deliver to Ireland in time for Christmas. If they can’t give you that guarantee, and it is important that the products arrive in a timely fashion, you might do well to shop locally.

What rights do I have if the presents I bought don’t arrive on time?

Unless a retailer has actually guaranteed delivery by a specific date, they will accept no responsibility for delays caused by the storm damage. Having said that, if you have bought something online you have more rights than if you bought them in-store and you can return them and get a full refund as long as you send them back within 14 days of receipt.

[ ‘Everyone is running around like headless chickens’: Holyhead Port closure hits imports to Ireland ]

What about toys, tech and treats?

The good news is that all the toys that Irish retailers will sell in the days ahead have already arrived so it is unlikely that there will be any shortages on that score. The less good news is that products bought by retailers for the winter sales might not get to Ireland on time. There might be delays when it comes to products bought in the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, while fresh food that is due to come over from the UK might be threatened by the delays.

And will passengers sailing home for Christmas make it on time?

Hopefully, but they may have to change their plans as thousands of people hoping to travel from Britain to Ireland or from Ireland to Britain in the days ahead are potentially facing massive disruption. Stena Line and Irish Ferries operate four ferries daily from Holyhead to Dublin and they carry hundreds of passengers and their cars. All sailings out of the port have been cancelled, although sailings from Birkenhead to Dublin and from Pembroke and Fishguard to Rosslare are operational and the ferry companies are trying to put more services onto those routes.