800 homes to remain without power overnight

ESB working to restore power to 3,000 homes cut off

A section of the roof which was blown off the Colaiste Cois Life School on Castle Road, Lucan, Dublin yesterday. Photograph: Arthur Carron/Collins
A section of the roof which was blown off the Colaiste Cois Life School on Castle Road, Lucan, Dublin yesterday. Photograph: Arthur Carron/Collins

About 800 homes are expected to remain without power overnight as ESB emergency repair crews work to restore power services in the west of the country.

The company said it has restored power to 10,000 homes and businesses throughout the day, and hoped to reconnect all but 800 homes by tonight.

Those remaining without power include 300 customers in Tralee, 200 customers in Ennis, 200 customers in Bandon/Dunmanway/Killarney and 100 homes and businesses in Newcastlewest.

ESB Networks said a “major fault” in Ballymun and Glasnevin left 6,000 householders without power last night. Today, services had been restored to just over 2,000 homes. It is not clear if this fault was linked to the storm.

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Power has been restored to around 75,000 customers who lost power during storm-force winds and heavy rain on Thursday night, and through subsequent faults in the network.

The adverse weather, which swept in over the country late yesterday, rendered dozens of roads impassable due to fallen trees and surface water.

A number of flights and ferry sailings were cancelled yesterday while train and Dart services in Dublin have been disrupted.

AA Roadwatch is continuing to advise drivers to take extra care on the roads and to be vigilant of fallen trees and other wind-blown debris.

The weather led to a number of flights at Dublin Airport Authority being delayed, diverted or cancelled yesterday. Services are operating as normal today.

Irish Ferries said its services should also operate as normal today. Yesterday its fast ferry services between Dublin and Holyhead were cancelled due to the adverse weather.

P&O Ferries has resumed sailings but cautioned passengers to expect a backlog of traffic from previous sailings.

Iarnród Éireann said Dart and train services are also operating normally.

Services between Dún Laoghaire and Blackrock were halted for a time yesterday morning after a trampoline hit the line. The line has now reopened.

Pearse Station remains closed due to roof damage with passengers advised to use Tara Street or Grand Canal Dock stations instead.

Eircom said winds, heavy rainfall and lightning storms overnight left 8,200 customers without telephone and broadband service overnight. Crews restored service to 1,000 customers today, but the company said fault levels remain high in many parts of the country.

(Additional reporting: PA)

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy is Economics Correspondent of The Irish Times

Marie O'Halloran

Marie O'Halloran

Marie O'Halloran is Parliamentary Correspondent of The Irish Times