In Louth more than 300 trucks formed a convoy which made a return journey from Dublin at rush-hour yesterday evening. Gardai in stations along the route said traffic was flowing in the towns and considerably lighter than normal, especially for a Friday evening.
The first tailback of the day was at Carrickarnon on the Dublin-Belfast road north of Dundalk. From 6.30 a.m. truckers began parking along the northbound lane and the hard shoulder on the southbound side, reducing traffic to one lane. No commercial vehicles were allowed through and some trucks were turned back by protesters.
Convoys travelling throughout Louth and Meath at peak times caused gridlock for a time in Drogheda, Dundalk, Navan and Ardee. Convoys from Louth, Monaghan and Cavan headed for the M50 on the outskirts of Dublin during the morning, and began the return journeys after 3 p.m. Four convoys, two of them over a mile long and moving at under 20 m.p.h., travelled the N3 back to Cavan.