Ireland faces a potential oil supply cutoff as fuel protests cripple key transport routes, Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned Friday. Blockades at major ports, the Whitegate refinery, and fuel depots in Galway and Limerick have severely restricted fuel access, with demonstrations causing major disruptions around Dublin and forcing travelers to walk to Dublin Airport.

Despite emergency government cuts to fuel duty rates in March, petrol costs €2.12 per liter and diesel €2.41 per liter. The Irish Petrol Retailers Association warned that 500 filling stations could run dry by day's end if protests continue. Tensions escalated Friday when police confronted protesters at the Whitegate refinery before escorting fuel tankers through to supply emergency vehicles.

The protests follow a global oil price surge, with Brent crude reaching $96.36 per barrel, 32 percent above February levels. Northern Ireland braces for similar demonstrations, with planned protests targeting Belfast's Westlink motorway and Larne port. The crisis echoes the UK's 2000 fuel protests, raising concerns about potential spread to Great Britain.