Hundreds of ferry passengers heading to France for Christmas tonight are being forced to take alternative routes through Britain, after Irish Ferries vessel the MV Normandydeveloped a technical fault.
Around 700 people were due to sail from Rosslare to Cherbourg and 130 were to make the journey to Ireland on the return voyage, in the ship's last round-trip before Christmas.
The sailing has been cancelled to allow the vessel to be repaired. A spokesman for the ferry company - which saw sailings disrupted during an industrial dispute with Irish workers which was only resolved last week - said alternative routes through Britain had been found.
The passengers, the vast majority of whom are travelling by car, have been booked onto services through the UK. But they will have to drive from Pembroke, in Wales, to English Channel ports, he said.
Irish Ferries has already begun to contact people due to travel to Ireland tomorrow and may accommodate them on earlier alternative services to prevent them being delayed, the spokesman said.
The MV Normandyis due to resume its scheduled sailings after Christmas.
It later emerged the Department of the Marine had also ordered an audit of procedures on the vessel after officials on an unscheduled inspection were unhappy with the repairs being done.
That audit is due to be carried out tomorrow.