A stand-off between Gardai and protesters at Whitegate as protesters prevent a fuel tanker from entering the Irving Oil refinery on Friday afternoon. Fuel protesters at the Whitegate oil refinery. Picture: Noel SweeneyIn the hours preceding the press conference, protesters had started to block fuel leaving the depot in Galway. As the day went on, they would start to block Foynes and the Whitegate oil refinery in Cork. Whitegate Oil Refinery had not been blocked off at that point.

Source: Irish Examiner April 10, 2026 17:56 UTC