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Storm Éowyn left thousands powerless for days in West Cork

February 3rd, 2025 11:15 AM

By Kieran O'Mahony

Storm Éowyn left thousands powerless for days in West Cork Image

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WHILE West Cork escaped the worst of Storm Éowyn last week compared to other parts of the country, destruction was still caused with multiple trees falling on roads and power lines, leading to thousands of customers left without power for hours or even days.

The severe red warning issued by Met Éireann led to the closures of schools, creches, civic amenity sites, libraries across the county as the public heeded the advice to stay indoors as Storm Éowyn passed through the region last Friday morning. It also affected hospital services with all non-urgent clinics and appointments in Cork and Kerry cancelled last Friday.

Storm Éowyn comes just weeks after a big freeze engulfed parts of West and North Cork.

According to the ESB, there are less than 100 customers in West Cork still without power this week but they expect that the majority of those impacted will have supply restored by Friday January 31st.

Mobile phone coverage was also affected with Vodafone customers in Durrus still without any signal this week. Local Noel O’Donovan told The Southern Star that he has had no phone coverage since the storm but has power.

‘Thankfully our wifi is with Eir so that’s worked away fine but the biggest concern would be we no longer have a landline so if we needed the emergency services we wouldn’t be able to contact them,’ he said.

‘Thankfully that hasn’t been an issue. As far as we are aware Vodafone is saying its network is working but they are waiting for power to be restored to the place where the mast is.’

Meanwhile, ESB workers from West Cork and other parts of the south have travelled up the country to help their colleagues with the restoration of power in other counties where several thousands customers are still without power or water.

Skilled technicians from Finland, Austria and Britain have also travelled from abroad to help with the restoration of power.

At this week’s meeting of the local authority, councillors were informed that the Council’s Community Response Forum met daily in response to Storm Éowyn. 

Director of services Niall Healy said that the public seemed to listen and heed the warnings. ‘There were very low volumes of traffic on the road last Friday,’ he said.

Cllr Gillian Coughlan (FF), welcomed the work of the Community Response Forum and said everyone involved in the  storm response did extremely well.

‘The one chink in the armour was with Uisce Éireann and not having back-up generators is not good enough. Had the power gone in Bandon and Kinsale they would have had no water,’ said Cllr Coughlan.

County mayor Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) said it was a ‘sad state of affairs’ that Uisce Éireann didn’t have generators to keep the water supply going.

He pointed out that those who suffered most by Storm Éowyn were the younger people and families who have no fireplaces or stoves in their houses to keep warm and had no water.

Cllr Michael Looney (FF) pointed out that there is no plan B for these modern houses and that a provision should be made for stoves to be installed in all new houses.

Meanwhile, Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins TD has called for the immediate reconvening of the Dáil to address the ongoing crisis.

He criticised the government’s decision to extend its two-week break.

‘This inaction is making a mockery of the new administration and leaving our citizens to fend for themselves,’ said Deputy Collins.

MEP for Ireland South Sean Kelly has called for urgent and enhanced investment in the country’s electricity grid, warning that the system is outdated and unfit for the challenges of the electrified, digital age.

Newly-appointed junior minister Michael Moynihan TD has also called for urgent action to address the ongoing issue of electricity cables being routed through forested areas, which poses significant risk to Ireland’s electricity supply during storms.

‘Where possible, electricity cables should not be routed through forested areas at all. For existing lines, we need to ensure a clearance area wide enough to account for the full height of mature trees,’ said Deputy Moynihan.

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