‘More European routes needed’ for Irish ports

© Juan Antonio Barros Moreno

For those not involved in the trade sit can sometimes be surprising how much Ireland-continental Europe cargo – 60%, in case you didn’t know – is transported via what is known as the UK landbridge – on trucks using the ferry services out of both the Republic and Northern Ireland. But as with a host of other things, Brexit seems poised to throw the proverbial spanner in the works with the possible introduction of new border and customs controls that would severely hamper supply chains. The answer is to develop new shipping routes directly between Ireland and mainland Europe and bypass the UK altogether.