What happened

This aggregate record identifies all three national refining or fuel-depot sites that Ireland's National Emergency Coordination Group officially reported as restricted during the April fuel-price protests: Whitegate Refinery in County Cork, the Foynes fuel terminal at Shannon Foynes Port in County Limerick, and the fuel depot at the Port of Galway. Whitegate is Ireland's only oil refinery; Foynes and Galway store and distribute imported finished petrol and diesel. Protesters blocked tanker access and movement at the three sites became extremely limited. Fuels for Ireland said about 600 of Ireland's roughly 1,600 filling stations had run dry by 11 April, with western, mid-western and south-western areas particularly affected. Restricted supplies created contingency concerns for ambulances and fire services, home care, public transport and milk collection. Gardaí, supported at Whitegate by the Defence Forces, cleared or managed access; some tankers were allowed through under escort. The Whitegate action ended on 11 April, while the remaining Galway and Foynes blockades stood down on 12 April. Related protests also impeded freight or road access at Rosslare Europort, Ringaskiddy and locations in Dublin including the M50, N7 and O'Connell Street. Those actions affected wider transport and distribution, but the reviewed evidence does not establish that they blockaded additional fuel depots; they are therefore context and are not counted as extra depot sites. This was a temporary distribution interruption caused by protest blockades—not destruction of the facilities, an underlying absence of fuel, or a current shortage. The marker is a national reference and does not imply a single incident coordinate.

When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.