JUST 17 people were queuing for tickets in the Stena office in Dublin Port yesterday afternoon as the car ferry Stena Nordicaprepared to leave for Holyhead.
Among them however, was Brigid Archer, who explained she was a diabetic. Ms Archer showed The Irish Timesher prescription medication packet containing just one tablet. "I have no more." she said.
Originally from Ireland she said she has lived for 40 years in London and came to Wexford for the funeral of her brother on Monday last. She was due to travel back to the UK on a Ryanair flight on Friday, but it was cancelled, she said, producing her Ryanair ticket.
“I was offered a place on the night-time ferry here but it would involve a four-hour wait over in Holyhead. I can’t do that in the middle of the night and I can’t wait for a flight until Wednesday,” she said.
“I am going now to the Mater hospital to try to get some insulin,” she said as she left.
LEE DAVID Carter, a student from London, said he had university exams on Tuesday morning. Getting stuck was "not an option". He was relieved to hear Ms Archer say foot passengers would be accommodated on the night-time ferry. As the afternoon sailing of the Stena Nordicaleft he explained it had been his first visit to Ireland and he "needed to get back on English soil".
A FAMILY from Merseyside who did not want to be named said they had travelled with their car for a break last week. Although they were booked on the Stena Adventurerlast night they had arrived in the port early, fearing queues. "It is not too bad, we expected worse" one of them said.
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