The Daily Star Ireland
Storm Darragh caused extensive damage overnight, leaving nearly 400,000 homes and businesses without electricity. This morning, large areas of Kerry, Cork, Mayo, and Galway remain without power after the storm brought winds up to 148 km/h at Mace Head, along with violent rain.
Overnight, seven counties, including Donegal, Sligo, Galway, Mayo, Wicklow, Clare, and Leitrim, were under red warnings, which have now passed. However, orange warnings are in place nationwide until 10 am, followed by a yellow warning until 3 pm.
Travel has been heavily disrupted, with flight cancellations, train service interruptions, and ferries unable to leave port. The Dart line between Clontarf and Howth Junction remains closed due to a fallen tree between Raheny and Howth Junction, despite initial plans to reopen after clearing a previous obstruction. The Enterprise Train service between Dublin and Belfast is also suspended until further notice.
ESB and council crews are working diligently to restore power, clear roads, and remove travel obstacles. However, the public is advised to avoid unnecessary travel until the warnings are lifted. The west coast was particularly hard-hit, but power outages are widespread across the country, as shown on the ESB Networks power outage map.
The scale of the restoration effort is being assessed this morning. ESB Networks thanked customers for their patience, promising updates on restoration times once impacted areas are evaluated. Tens of thousands, especially in the southwest, may remain without power until the end of the weekend.
The public is strongly advised not to handle fallen electricity wires, as they can be live and dangerous.
While Dublin Airport aims to operate fully today, several flights were cancelled by airlines, including early departures by Emerald Airlines, British Airways flights to and from Heathrow, Air France to Paris, KLM to Amsterdam, and United Airlines to Newark and Washington.
Additionally, the Irish Ferries service from Dublin to Holyhead was cancelled, with affected customers being accommodated on later sailings.
