Irish ports have been left “absolutely jammed” by Holyhead’s continued closure as passengers and hauliers frantically search for alternative routes – with less than a week to go before Christmas, writes Adam Pogrund.

The Welsh port will remain closed until at least January 15, affecting up to 13,000 passengers a day, as result of damage caused by Storm Darragh.

The ongoing closure of the crucial Holyhead to Dublin ferry route has left other ports, including Rosslare, Cairnryan and Fishguard, rammed as passengers and drivers seek alternatives.

Ger Hyland, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said: “Rosslare is absolutely jammed. Space remains non-existent.

“The last few days, the volume in every port is absolutely shocking.

“You just can’t get any space on ferries. It’s not just Rosslare; every port is in the same position.

“Every port is absolutely rammed on both sides.”

Darren Murphy, managing director of BM Transport, a haulage company in Monaghan, said: “Rosslare is always clustered. There wasn’t enough space moving before, let alone now.

“The level of traffic over the last three or four months has expanded exponentially.

“Most direct sailings from Europe have gone there since Brexit. There was traffic already.

“There are major works to increase capacity but it hasn’t been completed yet so it is not a surprise at all.

“Rosslare is clogged. Birkenhead is still a mess. You can’t access it until 12 hours before your sailing.

“All ferries are totally chocka-block. Issues are only going to increase in the next 24 to 48 hours as people try to go on holiday. It’s a mess for everyone.”

Mr Hyland added: “It’s likely to remain so until additional ferries are put on, which won’t likely happen until the new year. It can’t be cured overnight.

“There should have been a plan B for Holyhead’s closure but no one was expecting it to go down for so long.

“We have drivers in ports waiting 24 hours to get on ferries. The wait at Cairnryan is especially bad.

“They are waiting there in a disused airfield. There are no facilities for people, no proper toilets, nowhere to make tea or coffee.

“If you want to book a ferry today for a truck you can’t get one until Monday or Tuesday.”

Yesterday, Irish Ferries blocked new bookings on the Pembroke to Rosslare route to make sure there is “enough capacity for our passengers already booked or on our cancelled Dublin-Holyhead services”.

Holyhead originally said the port would reopen today but announced on Tuesday it would stay closed until mid-January.

There are fears it might not reopen until spring. A joint statement from the Irish and Welsh governments said: “This was not the news any of us wanted to hear.

“We know that this will cause some anxiety for people who are planning to travel to and from Ireland to be reunited with their loved ones this Christmas.”

They said they are “pressing ahead” with contingency plans at “pace”.

But Mr Hyland said: “We would be five or six days ahead if we were told before Tuesday. At this time of year there is very limited space on ferries but they will make it home.

“They might have to go around the country a bit but they will be fine.”

While retailers including Amazon and Tesco faced delays, medicine supplies were not affected.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority said it is “aware of the situation regarding hauliers and goods haulage being experienced” but “to date no shortages of any medicine have been notified with a reason of distribution delays related to the situation at Holyhead".