Updated at 9am

A tree down on the Block Road, Portlaoise last evening [Image: Trevor Byrne]

LOCAL AUTHORITY CREWS are out this morning clearing trees and other fallen debris from the roads in the wake of yesterday’s massive storm, which caused structural damage and massive travel problems across the country.

The southern half of the country was worst affected, with hundreds of trees down on routes all over Cork and Kerry.

There’s some disruption to rail and bus systems this morning, but most services are getting back to normal.

Gardaí issued this update on the road transport situation at daybreak:

• Dublin: Traffic in Dublin is moving well, no significant traffic issues at present.
• Cork: Surface ice is reported on the roads at Cork Airport and on the North city.
• Galway: Road conditions are described as wet but no major traffic issues
• Limerick: Surface ice reported on the M7 Northbound.

They’re also advising motorists to proceed with caution in all areas:

Gardaí wish to advise the public to be aware of the prevailing weather conditions following the recent severe weather. Road conditions are hazardous due to black ice and recent snow showers throughout the country. Fallen trees and debris may be encountered on many roads.

National picture

In short… Where-ever you’re driving this morning expect to encounter a fallen tree (or seven).

Rail

Some rail services aren’t running and others are delayed as a result of the storms.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Irish Rail’s Jane Cregan said there were trains running on all routes “with the exception of Tralee to Mallow and Limerick to Athenry”. Bus transfers are running on those routes.

She said there were some delays on Waterford and Cork services as a result of power outages on level crossings.

Over 100 workers have been out removing trees from the rail network overnight. Cregan said there had been 21 trees down between Limerick Junction and Mallow yesterday.

At the height of the storm, the company sent staff equipped with chainsaws on trains heading to areas likely to be affected by fallen trees.

Irish Rail are, as always, all over Twitter this morning providing updates @IrishRail.

Buses

Bus Eireann issued its last travel update at 10.20pm last night with the company reporting diversions on many routes.

However services for Limerick city were resuming after being suspended for a time earlier yesterday. Galway services are also back on.

Many other routes in the south and west of the country were operating on alternate routes, although some were resuming.

In Dublin, things are more or less back on schedule:

Sea

Irish Ferries has cancelled sailings of its smaller craft on the Dublin-Holyhead route, the ‘Swift’. The larger ‘Ulysses’ will depart at 10am instead of 08.05am.

There was also disruption on Stena Line routes yesterday. Check for updates here.

Airports

Flights in Dublin this morning were operating pretty much as normal, but the DAA is advising anyone with a flight today to check with their airline.

This was the message from Cork Airport:

All early morning departures will operate but all with delays due to aircraft needing to be de-iced arising from overnight snowfall and low temperatures

Passengers are advised to check the latest status of their flight with their airline.

And in Shannon, early morning flights departed as normal, but “contact airline” notices were in place for some UK-bound services this afternoon.

Read: 190,000 still without power… Many could remain offline for “a number of days”

Also: Highest wave ever recorded off Kinsale coast