Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 29 Jan
AS IRELAND RECOVERS from the devastating impact of Storm Éowyn, the public has been urged to “check in” with elderly and vulnerable people still affected by the continued power and water outages.
The severe weather caused widespread damage to infrastructure on Friday, leaving communities in several counties grappling with disruptions to essential services.
As of 11.30am, around 133,000 homes and businesses remain without power, while Uisce Éireann said that around 7,500 premises are still without water.
Electrical technicians from Austria, Finland and the UK are now on the ground in the worst impacted areas, with further support arriving from France in the afternoon.
Crews are also due to arrive from the Netherlands over the coming days.
And in areas where water has not yet returned, alternative water supplies are being provided and generators have been installed at almost all of the plants, pumping stations and reservoirs where it is feasible to do so.
ESB, Uisce Éireann and local authorities have urged those affected to take precautions while restoration efforts are underway.
ESB has also warned that there are still many faults on the electricity network that it has been made aware of “several instances of potentially very dangerous incidents where members of the public have unknowingly approached fallen electricity infrastructure”.
Gardaí have urged the public, where posible, to alert them of people still isolated by outages or blocked roads.
“If you are aware of family, friends or neighbours who you have not heard from or who may be isolated or continue to be in a vulnerable situation, please make contact with An Garda Síochána or another appropriate service. Do not assume that somebody else has,” a garda spokesperson said.
The Government has said 16 “emergency response hubs” are up and running across the country, but charity Friends of the Elderly has urged the public to “make the extra effort” and check with elderly residents themselves.
As Bernie Curran, General Manager of Friends of the Elderly told The Journal, “A 5 minute phone call can change an older person’s day”.
Storm Éowyn has affected people in varying ways, and some residents in more rural areas may be more vulnerable than others.
Friends of the Elderly have urged the public to check on your neighbours, especially those who may be elderly or living alone.
Curran said that even just offering emotional support can “make a big difference” during this stressful time.
“You’re breaking the monotony of the day for them, but you’re also ensuring that you can get them supplies, water or a hot meal if they need it,” Curran said.
“It’s really about making the most vulnerable people affected by the storm that they’re not isolated or unsafe, and making that connection with them.”
The charity said that if possible, people should reach out to those nearby, either in person or through a phone call or text.
Offer assistance in practical ways, such as helping with water, ensuring they have enough food, or providing warmth.
Curran also advised people to help elderly resident “preempt the further bad weather” by checking that they have the adequate resources to face any further extreme weather scenarios.
A number of people affected by outages have spoken out about their power and water outage struggles since Friday.
A Mayo resident told The Journal yesterday that she has had no electricity or water since around 2.20am on Friday after “the storm of the century”.
“This is absolutely terrible carry on, and the Dáil off for two weeks’ holidays. There would be all-out war if this was the carry on in Dublin,” the woman, who chose to remain anonymous, said.
Aisling O’Malley is based about 10 minutes outside Athlone. She is among those currently without power or water. She has a long-term illness and is finding the cold weather very difficult.
“We don’t have a mains water supply and have to use a well. Unfortunately, without electricity we have no pump for the well so we are without water.
“I have been using bottled gas to try and stay warm. I have a long-term illness so I need extra heat and the heater is just not enough,” Aisling said.
Aisling said ESB teams “are doing a wonderful job and I do understand they are doing their best”, but she is really struggling without power.
Catherine, a 65-year-old resident living in Tuam, Co Galway told RTÉ Radio One’s Liveline yesterday that her power had been gone since Thursday night.
“We’re so cold, we’re hungry, we’re exhausted. We haven’t had a hot meal since last Wednesday just before the storm,” Catherine said.
And the government aren’t doing anything for us. We’ve no internet, we’re lost and we don’t know what is happening.”
Sometimes an interview stays with you long after recording for news. John McDonagh from An Cheathrú Rua is 82 and is unwell and freezing cold since the storm knocked out his electricity in Conemara 5 days ago #storm #Conemara #gaeltacht pic.twitter.com/XneZaSjw2r
— Teresa Mannion (@TeresaMannion) January 29, 2025
John McDonagh, a Connamara native who has been without power and water for six days, told RTÉ News that “the night time is the worst”.
“I have a local nursing home that I can call to during the day, but when I go back home at night, the house was frozen to death, and there’s no gas, heater, nothing,” McDonagh said.
“I go to bed with a hot water bottle, and I wake up cold and struggling to breathe”.
The ESB has said that 3,000 electricity poles across the country must be replaced, and 900km of new cable must be laid.
768,000 customers were left without electricity in the immediate aftermath of the storm, with around 635,000 of those affected reconnected as of this morning.
While the ESB and Uisce Éireann continue work on repairs, the European Union is sending 17 power generators to Ireland to help with the power outages.
Thirteen of the generators will come from the EU’s strategic reserve based in Poland, and Denmark has mobilised an extra four via the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism, according to the European Commission.
The Government has said a number of emergency response hubs are up and running in Cavan, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick city and county, Longford, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Surely who ever is good for the role, regardless of gender, should be acceptable. Otherwise, you might end up with a Dee Forbes.
Are you saying that in all of Ireland’s history, we never had a women who was capable of the role of Taoiseach? Just all men who so happened to be capable?
@9QRixo8H: Yes, the ‘merit’ argument only holds if there are equal opportunities, which there never have been on account of lack of childcare etc. These days, misogyny and general abuse may dissuade women from entering politics, sadly.
@9QRixo8H: I don’t think that’s what Anthony is saying, at all.
If the government made only one nomination, and that was a woman, would there be the same commentary?
But the main point surely is that either the government (in this case the State) is correct, and our Ursula doesn’t have this power.
Or she does.
if she doesn’t, then she should not be allowed to impose authority that she does not have.
@9QRixo8H: I can’t think of any.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: It is a request not an order, there is no imposition of authority involved.
@Steve O’Hara-Smith: there is an implied threat.
@Nodon: An implied threat to do what?
@Steve O’Hara-Smith: She requested 2 candidates, one male and one female.
The government submitted one, and told her this was their choice.
She *again* requested that the government submit 2 candidates.
She doesn’t seem to want to accept no as an answer.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: She wrote to ALL of the member states governments asking them all to send two candidates – some probably already have, others have not.
This is not a dialogue between her and the Irish government this is her asking all the members.
Now how will it look if we’re the only hold out? How about if we’re one of many?
Nobody has mentioned how any other government has responded are we out on a limb or one of the crowd? I have no idea but I’m guessing that we’re not out on a limb.
Filling positions should not be based on gender but ability.
@ian: That would suggest the those in government – both here and in the EU – don’t believe that what they do requires any special ability.
And that appearances are more important.
@ian: Exactly and it is the prerogative of the Government of each member State to decide who to nominate.
Is she legally entitled under EU legislation to request this ?
@Tom Reidy: Frau Genocide thinks she can do as she likes. An affront to democracy and the original ideals of the European project. Free Palestine.
@Tom Reidy: She can ask, like she did before, she cannot and did not insist.
There are a whole lot of people seemingly determined to make a mountain of this rather undersized mole hill.
It’s absolutely none of Von Der Leyens business if EU countries nominate 1 person or 5 people for their countries commissioner roll. So she should stay out of it.
What a picture. Martin standing by, watching on like a bold school boy and ready to do whatever he’s told to do by the demon headmistress!
@Andrew Kenny: Or someone signing a visitors’ book while her host waits politely.
@Brendan O’Brien: Of course that’s what is actually happening in the photo but how ironic that the real boss in that picture works out of Brussels. We ain’t as ‘independent’ as we think we are!
@Andrew Kenny: where did u see that ?He is standing firm with his nomination so wise up
@Brendan O’Brien: what an a#(hole you really are.
Irish government recreating China Here – THE CIRCUIT COURT will be able to order social media platforms and digital services providers to identify people who are anonymously posting defamatory material, under Ireland’s new defamation law.
@087 bed: Sounds good. You don’t think there should be laws against defamation?
@Brendan O’Brien: Yes there should be laws against defamation. Should juries be removed from the courts in defamation trails?
@Brendan O’Brien: This is about silencing decent as you well know, Be careful what you wish for, You might be next. All the Best
@087 bed: Defamation isn’t dissent.
@Brendan O’Brien: Defamation is a censorship buzz word.
@Brendan O’Brien: you’re guilty of Defamation of people on here. Myself for example when you’ve labelled me Far right and you say I’m a fake profile and even naming who you supposedly think am. That defamation of my character.
@Ger Whelan: I doubt any of that would fall under the legal definition of defamation, verbal abuse maybe.
there is a tradition here in Ireland of rewarding a senior Govt Minister with the plum job and they will not risk the possible shame of their Senior man being sidelined by a less connected woman
@Gerry Ryan: Any politican can be a Senior Minister just look at the currant crop.
@David Murray: yes, this years currant crop is expected to be poor because if the bad weather. As to the CURRENT crop of minister in government , they are expected to be poor under all known circumstances.
Our outgoing Commissioner is female, the incoming one is male… What part of gender equality does the current nominee offend?
@Brian Merriman: Probably von der Leyen would like flexibility to achieve gender balance on the Commission as a whole.
I don’t have a high opinion of the current Government but if they stand up VOn der Leyon this time I will have a bit more respect for them. On the other hand if they give in to this silly request they will be worthy of nothing more than utter contempt.
Send her Danny and Michael Healy Rea
Healy Rea’s X 2
Apart from the obvious giving the position to the most qualified, what’s more important here is Von Der Leyen overstepping. She needs to rein it in a bit.
Blatant gender discrimination. I genuinely feel sorry if the role is awarded to a woman cos she’ll feel she only got it because of that
@Ian McDonald: I don’t suppose all the men who have been promoted above more qualified/competent women were ashamed.
@Brendan O’Brien: examples being ……. ?
@Ian McDonald: There must be thousands. Every large company will have had many. Thankfully times are changing.
I picked this article: there are many other studies with similar findings.
Jobs for the boys only. Old school still.
I have a sneaky suspicion that this is a backdoor route for the EU president of the day to pick the commisionor and thus command their loyalty and very little to do with gender balance in order to fill up the commision with lackys.
Did Germany and Estonia propose a man?
They shouldn’t have voted for her she is now a dictator tell her to get lost
Michael McGrath and Michaela McGrath – simples!
have your say