17.50 Pearse - Dundalk

[Rashers]

When I was on the DART precedding this suburban service, I noticed that there were 3 four carriage 29000 trains in the sidings south of Pearse, all seperated. I should have known this was a bad sign.
At 17.58, an announcement was made " Pearse that there was a technical fault on the 17.50 service, so the next service would be a northbound DART stopping at all stations to Malahide. A few minutes after the DART came through, a 4 carriage service arrived to replace the delayed 17.50 service. No apologies, no warning about the reduced service. Everyone pushed on at Pearse st, and most seemed to get on at Tara street. But passengers left behind at Connolly (including families with buggies), more at Howth junction, and with the crawl out to Malahide, more passengers left behind at Malahide (group with lots of bags). Those waiting in Malahide travelling to Dundalk (of which I assume there would normally be very few, except for today) would have a long wait for the next service....
Not a single announcement for the driver anywhere along the journey...overall delay = 20-25 minutes,