A round-up of conditions nationwide
NORTHWEST
COUNCIL STAFF in the northwest have warned the public about the dangers of falling icicles. Already one shopper in Letterkenny had a lucky escape when a three-foot icicle brushed off him and smashed on the ground.
Donegal County Council engineer Vincent Lynn has asked businesses to remove the icicles from their premises. “We are also asking people to beware of heavy falls of snow coming off buildings. Ireland is simply not used to such weather and the hazards it brings with it,” he said.
Roads across Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal were gradually coming back to normal but many secondary roads were still covered in ice. Councils are running very low on salt to treat roads with many relying on today's shipment from Tunisia to help clear many roads which have not been treated.
STEPHEN MAGUIRE
SOUTH
Roads around Mallow, Bandon, Bantry and Glengarriff in Cork were particularly affected by frost, snow and ice yesterday making driving conditions difficult.
All of Cork’s main roads remained open and passable yesterday, though extreme care was advised on the steep incline of Carr’s Hill near Carrigaline and on most secondary routes.
Compacted snow and ice on footpaths around the city and county have a become a major cause for concern.
Gritting of footpaths and bridges continues around the city.
Mayor of County Cork Jim Daly said the timing of the big freeze had been particularly detrimental for small businesses.
“Small businesses in particular are suffering and have reported one of the quietest weeks on record at a time traditionally when they would expect an injection of cash,” he said.
The weather has caused disruption to domestic waste collection in the city. Many collections have been put off until after Christmas.
The weather was to remain bitterly cold last night with a widespread severe frost expected and lows of minus 13.
Temperatures today are not expected to rise above freezing.
LOUISE ROSEINGRAVE
MIDLANDS
Main roads throughout the midlands remained open yesterday as patches of ice and fog continued to present a threat to motorists.
Subzero temperatures are taking a toll on water supplies across the midlands with shortages at many locations.
The county council was making grit available to community groups in Co Laois where the M7 was reduced to a single lane in places.
Longford County Council was also making grit available to community groups and providing standpipes to supply customers throughout the county with water.
“The council’s resources are being stretched to capacity . . . Every effort is being made to provide the best possible response but decisions to respond are being taken on the basis of priority,” the council said.
Water shortages remained a concern in Co Westmeath where 34 standpipes have now been erected by the council. The standpipes are available at locations around the county. Met Éireann recorded a low of minus 13.4 in Mullingar yesterday.
All of the midland authorities are urging customers to conserve water during the cold snap. An estimated 500 homes are without water in Co Offaly.
EOGHAN MacCONNELL
SOUTH WEST
An appeal was made yesterday to people with four-wheel drives or other suitable vehicles to come forward to help ferry home-helps and provisions to elderly people in upland locations in Kerry.
The appeal was made on local radio after 81-year-old John Paul O’Brien spoke of how he and his wife were cut off at Flemingstown, an upland area northeast of Anascaul.
Their home-help could not reach them and their well had also given up, Mr O’Brien said.
He had telephoned Radio Kerry to appeal for anyone who had a four-wheel drive or jeep to help.
This area of west Kerry, between Caherconree and the Conor Pass has been very badly affected over the past month.
Mr O’Brien said he had never seen such a long-lasting cold spell.
Radio Kerry presenter Jerry O’Sullivan said there had been several offers from vehicle owners and help was on its way to the O’Briens.
Efforts were under way yesterday to free an articulated truck which became stuck in snow and ice near the Moll’s Gap area of the N71 Killarney to Kenmare Ring of Kerry road.
The truck became stuck in the snow on Tuesday evening. The road remained closed yesterday.
Up to 80 schools in the Beara peninsula, Co Kerry, west Limerick and north Cork were closed yesterday.
Bus Éireann services were also curtailed in the Killorglin area. There was concern about services in the Cahersiveen area. ANNE LUCEY
WEST
A Christmas delivery of Guinness to publicans in the Castlebar area of Co Mayo yesterday brought cold comfort to drinkers – some barrels were frozen solid.
Publicans who received the chilly consignment had to wait for the kegs to thaw out before tapping them.
It is understood the barrels had been travelling by lorry in temperatures as low as minus 16 degrees. One publican who received the ice-cold brew, Gerry Tolster of Tolster’s Bar in Spencer Street, Castlebar, said: “It’ll take a while for the kegs to thaw out. Luckily they don’t need to be tapped immediately.”
Due to the exceedingly low temperatures throughout Mayo overnight, the salting of some primary road routes did not prove as effective as it should have.
“Some roads were still slippery despite an allocation of extra salt,” said Mayo county secretary John Condon.
Salt was only effective in temperatures of minus 8 degrees, Mr Condon explained, but overnight temperatures in the region had gone as low as minus 16.
A convoy of eight lorries completed an 18-hour round trip from Castlebar to Dublin Port to bring in fresh supplies of salt for use in the Mayo area. TOM SHIEL