The storm which swept across the country on Saturday night, gusting at up to 77 m.p.h., felled trees and telephone lines and pitched 30,000 houses into darkness. The winds, which were accompanied by heavy rain, blocked a number of roads with floods and falling trees.
The damage and disruption were worst in the south-west and in Cos Wicklow, Wexford and Waterford. In the west, Galway and Mayo took the brunt. Tralee, Co Kerry, was badly affected.
Yesterday afternoon the ESB said it had reconnected 27,000 homes and expected to have supply back to the rest by last night. The ESB had 350 crews working on damaged lines over the weekend.
Met Eireann said the turbulent weather had been caused by a depression which had come in from the Atlantic. The depression had deepened as it crossed the country, a common feature in autumn. The highest gust of 68 knots (77 m.p.h.) was recorded at Knock. Most parts of the country were affected by the storm.
"It was not unusual for this time of the year," said the Met Eireann spokesman. It was not exceptional and no records were broken. The forecast for the week was for more unsettled weather, with winds and rain.
Some 12,000 premises in Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary and on the Cork border were without electricity for several hours when trees brought down cables. The worst period was up to 6 p.m., when the wind and rain was gusting at up to 70 m.p.h. The last of the 750 subscribers were restored to power yesterday afternoon.
Fire brigade services under Limerick Emergency Control and county council staff were called out to remove trees from the roads over a wide area, including the main Dublin-Limerick road at Annacotty.
Four men were rescued off the Cork coast on Saturday night when their yacht lost its mast in high seas. Located about 20 miles south of Courtmacsherry, the British crew sent out a Mayday at about 7.30 p.m.
According to a spokesman for the Irish Marine Emergency Services (IMES), a vessel went to the yacht's assistance and stood by until the Courtmacsherry lifeboat arrived. The IMES helicopter was also at the scene.