Two men have been hospitalised following an incident onboard a ship docked at Foynes Port in County Limerick on Tuesday evening.
Emergency services, including Gardaí and the HSE Air Ambulance, responded to the scene shortly after 7pm as part of a major emergency operation. The incident occurred on the Bow Hercules, a Norwegian-flagged oil and chemical tanker currently moored at the port.
Local reports indicated a strong presence of emergency personnel in and around the 182-metre vessel, which was built in 2017 and has a gross tonnage of over 26,000 tonnes.
One of the injured men was airlifted to Cork University Hospital, while the second was transported by road ambulance to another hospital for treatment.
In a statement, Shannon Foynes Port Company confirmed the incident, saying:
“Two men have been hospitalised following an accident onboard a ship this evening at Foynes Port. Emergency services attended the scene and both men were removed to University Hospital. The cause of the accident is being investigated by the relevant authorities. The matter onboard the ship has been made safe, and the Port is due to resume operations tonight.”
Gardaí also confirmed their attendance at the scene, stating:
“Gardaí are currently at the scene following a report of an incident on a ship in Foynes Port, Limerick this evening, Tuesday 24th June 2025, shortly before 7pm. Gardaí are assisting ambulance services and dealing with a number of injuries.”
Investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing.
