The HSS Stena Explorer hit an object as it came in to dock

The fast ferry HSS Explorer struck an object on Wednesday night. No-one was hurt and the vessel docked safely.

Stena said the ship will be out of operation for two weeks.

The firm said fans going to Dublin for the match on 26 February would be switched to its conventional ferry services out of Holyhead and Fishguard.

Wales fans, many still reeling from the shock resignation of national team coach Mike Ruddock this week, face making new travel arrangements if they were booked on the HSS Explorer.

The vessel, which carries up to 400 passengers, is out of operation until Friday 3 March while repairs can be carried out.

The firm is transferring fast ferry passengers to other sailings

Stena spokesman Eamonn Hewitt said the company was sympathetic to the plight of fans making the biennial pilgrimage to Lansdowne Road ground.

He said: "These people have tickets and we have an obligation to treat them as valued customers and we have to make the changes as painless as possible.

"The fast ferry takes half the time the conventional ferry takes to cross so you can see more fast ferry trips in a day, and we have lost that, so we have to ask people to be a bit flexible."

Divers

He said the firm was confident it could "juggle the figures" to move people over to the Stena Adventurer operating out of Holyhead and the Stena Europe, which runs from Fishguard to Rosslare.

Stena has since put divers into Holyhead harbour to search for the object which it said had caused minor damage to the Explorer.

The firm said the damage to the vessel was identified immediately and at no point were passengers and crew in any danger.

In October 2004, the ferry had to turn back to port after a wave damaged the ship's hull 30 minutes into its voyage out of Holyhead.