The North East
A blizzard followed by freezing temperatures caused havoc for motorists and ESB crews in the north-east region.
Motorists trying to travel from Dublin to either Belfast or Derry faced long delays as lorries jack-knifed yesterday morning at Dromad on the N1 and Ashbourne on the N2.
Local authorities in Louth, Meath and Monaghan said the national and regional roads remained passable, but the majority of county and minor roads were impassable with snowfalls of between four inches and four feet reported.
In Co Cavan engineering staff said most roads on lower ground were presenting no problems, although the council was monitoring Kingscourt and other areas on higher ground. Heavier snows fell in the vicinity of the Cooley and Mourne Mountains.
On smaller roads many vehicles were damaged in minor accidents. The freezing temperatures affected power lines, leaving many homes and businesses without electricity in Dundalk and north Louth. The 30 or so other Border crossings in Louth were impassable.
In the Cooley Peninsula hundreds of homes were without power because of damage to a 38,000-volt line. The Border village of Omeath was badly hit, with no electricity from early morning. Later the road from Omeath to Newry was passable and a small number of motorists made the five-mile journey. Other areas badly affected included Faughart, Kilcurry and Lurgangreen.
An ESB spokesman said the hazardous weather conditions made it difficult for repair crews to reach problem areas in the north-east. Crews had 95 per cent of homes restored by lunchtime.
Across the north-east, county councils said all the national and regional roads had been gritted and were passable with care. County and minor roads were impassable, with up to a foot of snow.
By Elaine Keogh
The North-West
UP to 1,000 homes on the Inishowen peninsula in Co Donegal were without electricity for much of yesterday, following blizzards on Monday night. Power cuts were caused by trees falling on lines and poles being blown over.
Hazardous driving conditions meant ESB crews could not get to remote areas to do repairs although it was expected everybody would be reconnected by last night. Gardai warned motorists last night that driving conditions would again become dangerous after dark.
Snow showers followed by freezing temperatures on Monday night left the Barnesmore Gap impassable. In Meenaroy, near Fintown, up to 30 cars were stranded.
No snow fell in the north-west yesterday, and most areas were bright and sunny although some snow remained on back roads in Co Donegal. All the main roads were clear. Apart from light snow and hail on Monday night, Sligo escaped the worst of the weather.
All flights were cancelled at both Sligo and Carrickfinn airports, not because of conditions locally but because Dublin Airport was closed.
By Theresa Judge
The Southeast
The south-east escaped the worst of the weather, although snow drifts of up to five feet made many roads in east Carlow impassable.
Carlow County Council had gritters on the roads from 4 a.m., keeping major roads open. The worst-affected area was Hacketstown, where snow drifting in from high ground caused problems throughout the day. Minor roads were impassable.
Elsewhere in the region there were strong winds, but the weather remained dry and bright in most areas.
By Chris Dooley
The West
Gale-force northerly winds yesterday swept away much of the snow which began falling two days ago on the Atlantic seaboard. But minor roads were still reported to be in a dangerous condition, particularly in north Galway and Mayo.
Bright sunshine in many areas brought a partial thaw, but hundreds of homes in north Mayo were without power. The coastal areas of Carrowteige, Porturlin and Carrowmore-Lacken bore the brunt of the gales and were worst affected. The ESB said it hoped to have power restored by nightfall yesterday.
Knock Airport opened after snow and ice were removed from the runway. The closure of Dublin Airport hit regional flights from Knock and Galway.
By Lorna Siggins
The Mid-West
Despite bitterly cold northerly winds, patchy black ice and light snow the mid-west region remained relatively untouched by the weather yesterday.
Gardai throughout Tipperary, Clare and Limerick reported no serious accidents.
Roscrea in Co Tipperary was submerged under snow on Monday night.
Gardai in Limerick city and county reported a cold but sunny day, with roads dry and clear despite snow showers which failed to lodge on Monday night and yesterday.
Co Clare also remained relatively untouched, with good conditions reported in Shannon, Ennis and Scarriff. Shannon Airport remained open yesterday although flights to Dublin were cancelled.
By Cian mcCormack
The South
Temperatures just above freezing and a bitterly cold northerly wind affected all parts of Co Cork yesterday, but the county escaped the blizzard conditions experienced in the east and north.
Cork Airport operated normally yesterday, although flights to Dublin and Birmingham were cancelled. Bus Eireann said its schedules were also running normally. In Midleton a number of ESB lines were down in remote areas.
By Dick Hogan
The Midlands
Most roads in the midlands were passable by mid-afternoon as conditions improved. Overnight blizzards gave way to bright and dry, cold weather. However, parts of east Kildare fared badly, with areas around Castledermot and the Meath-Wicklow border reporting heavy snowfalls, making side-roads dangerous. Snow was a problem on the N7 to Limerick and N8/N9 to Cork and Waterford.
By Tim O'Brien
The East
Wicklow was severely affected by continuing snowfalls yesterday as traffic slowed to a crawl on main roads. Many side-roads were impassable.
Up to 5,000 homes in the north Wicklow area were without power for much of the day. The ESB said it was working to restore supplies to most homes by nightfall. Worst affected were hilly areas where sheep farmers had difficulty getting fodder to their animals. Public transport was also disrupted, and people were advised not to travel if possible. With freezing conditions last night the situation was expected to be difficult again today.
By Tim O'Brien