Weather conditions caused travel chaos around the country yesterday with many flights and ferries cancelled and a large number of roads flooded or impassable due to fallen trees.
Flights, ferries, and road and rail services were all affected by the storm, which caused the cancellation of 58 outbound flights from Dublin airport. Some 31 flights due to arrive at the airport were cancelled and a further 31 were diverted to Shannon, Belfast and Manchester.
Aer Lingus cancelled short-haul flights between 4pm and 6pm yesterday and suspended check-in for a time. Aer Arann cancelled all of its flights.
Dublin Airport Authority spokesman Vincent Wall said the weather had a significant impact on operations at the airport. "Wind speeds of over 70 miles per hour were recorded here. There were planes landing and taking off as normal. Individual airlines take the decision whether or not to operate," he said.
All ferry crossings to France were cancelled yesterday and high-speed ferry crossings to Britain were also cancelled at Dublin, Dún Laoghaire and Belfast. The Irish Ferries cruise ferry from Dublin to Holyhead did go ahead but was delayed by six hours.
Some Dart services in Dublin were also disrupted when trees fell on the line at Sydney Parade and Merrion Gates.
In Cork, the Carrigrohane Road, Lee Road and Inniscarra Road were closed, while in Kilkenny the Circular and Bleach roads were impassable for a time. Firefighters rescued two motorists stranded in their cars on the Carrigrohane Road and a third was rescued near the Cross River Ferry on the Monkstown to Passage Road.
The N16 at Tulsk in Co Roscommon, Moycullen, Claregalway and Dunmore in Co Galway and roads around Westport were also flooded. And a landslide on the road near the Delphi Adventure Centre between Louisbergh and Leenane caused its closure.
