Several crashes again this morning as cold spell continues

There have been several crashes around West Cork today as the current icy spell continues to leave roads treacherous.

The road between Schull and Ballydehob has just reopened after a car went off the road on an icy stretch, closing the road for a time.

A school bus had a near miss outside Skibbereen, as it left the road on a bad bend to the south of the town, although there were no children on board at the time.

Other school buses have been cancelled or delayed as the icy spell has left roads in a dangerous condition several mornings this week.

Roads around Drimoleague, Schull, Bantry, Glengarriff and further north, near Macroom, Newcestown and Kealkil were also described as being highly dangerous.

Clonakilty and Bandon did not escape, either, with several back roads causing problems for buses and parents trying to get to schools and work.

Some schools in Cork city have postponed their opening until 10.30am, as many city areas are also covered in black ice and footpaths are causing a lot of problems for children walking to school.

Cork County Council said earlier this week that all its Priority 1 and Priority 2 roads would continue to be gritted during this icy spell, but many back roads, which are not main or National Routes, will not be salted.

Garda advice is to stick to main roads where possible and take extra time for your journey. Speed is crucial in ice, so slow down, and leave plenty of distance between vehicles.

The forecast is for a further drop in temperatures tonight, so another frosty morning could be in store for Saturday.