Thousands to attend Athlone Mercosur protest

The protest is set to feature a huge cavalcade of tractors and agricultural vehicles

Athlone is bracing for traffic chaos and near-gridlock on Saturday as thousands of angry farmers and protesters descend on the Midlands town for what is expected to be one of the largest demonstrations seen there in years.

An Garda Síochána has confirmed it is aware of plans for a major public assembly on Saturday, 10 January 2026, warning motorists to expect severe delays, slow-moving convoys and congestion across key routes throughout the day.

The protest is set to feature a huge cavalcade of tractors and agricultural vehicles, travelling from the N61 Roscommon Road onto the N6 eastbound between Junctions 12 and 10, before continuing along the N55 towards the R916 and Cornamaddy Roundabout. A march will also take place from the vicinity of Junction 9 on the N6 to the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Athlone campus, where a rally and speeches are planned.

While Gardaí say the N6 eastbound is not expected to close, they have warned of significant disruption and bottlenecks along the route, particularly between Junctions 12 and 10, with traffic conditions expected to deteriorate rapidly from early morning and remain heavily congested into the afternoon.

Motorists travelling in and around Athlone are being urged to avoid the area where possible, plan journeys well in advance and allow for lengthy delays, with Gardaí cautioning that traffic may at times grind to a crawl.

Additional pressure is expected around the N55 Cornamaddy Roundabout, the R916 and the wider TUS Athlone area, where parking shortages, increased pedestrian activity and further congestion are anticipated from early morning until the protest concludes.

An Garda Síochána said it is working closely with Westmeath County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in an effort to manage the disruption, but acknowledged that major delays are unavoidable given the scale of the planned protest.

The demonstration is being driven by growing fury among farmers over the EU–Mercosur trade agreement, which aims to deepen trade ties between the European Union and the South American Mercosur bloc. Tractors, hauliers and political figures are all expected to take part in the rolling protest through the town ahead of the main rally.

The agreement cleared a crucial hurdle this week after winning approval at EU Council level, despite the Irish Government confirming it would not support the deal.

Independent Ireland, which called the protest, said representatives from ten of Ireland’s main farming organisations will address the crowd at the public meeting at TUS Athlone.

ICSA president Sean McNamara, who farms on the Cavan–Westmeath border, described the EU Council vote as a “dangerous green light” for imports that he says fail to meet the standards demanded of Irish farmers.

“This vote sends a reckless message,” Mr McNamara said. “The European Council is prepared to wave through food imports produced using practices that are banned here, putting farmers out of business and exposing consumers to unacceptable risks.”

He said the fight now shifts to the European Parliament, where the deal could still be stopped.

“The battle is far from over,” he said. “Irish MEPs must step up now and reject this deal. Political pressure matters — silence will be taken as consent.”