The situation nationwide
CORK
MORE THAN 30 primary and post-primary schools – mainly in mid, north and west Cork – will remain closed today as sub-zero temperatures look set to make for continued dangerous driving conditions, particularly on smaller county roads.
According to Bus Éireann, a number of city services were curtailed yesterday, particularly in the northwest of the city, while services to Glenville and Carrignavar were cancelled.
Gardaí in Macroom, Kanturk and Fermoy urged motorists to drive with caution. While main roads were passable, conditions were dangerous on many back roads.
Cork has so far escaped the heavy snowfalls experienced in many parts of the country but householders were last night bracing themselves for possible snow following Met Éireann forecasts of snow in the region. – BARRY ROCHE
WEST
MANY SCHOOLS remain closed throughout the west today due to a combination of factors, including transport difficulties, heating problems and burst pipes.
North-West MEP Marian Harkin has called on the Government to guarantee payments for salt used by local authorities for gritting.
“The response of this Government to date has been negligible, and with the prospect of 10 further days of frozen conditions, the priority must be to create road conditions which do not leave anybody marooned in their houses,” Ms Harkin said yesterday.
Freezing fog made driving conditions particularly hazardous on the new M6 motorway west of Kilbeggan as far as Ballinasloe. – LORNA SIGGINS
SOUTH-EAST
EXTREME CONDITIONS caused major disruption throughout the southeast region yesterday. Large areas of counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford remained covered by frozen snow. Most schools were closed, some roads were impassable and many people were unable to get to work. Freezing fog in the afternoon made things worse.
Some swine-flu vaccination clinics in Kilkenny and Wexford closed temporarily. In Co Tipperary, there was a light covering of snow in many areas, dozens of schools remained closed and conditions on secondary roads were very difficult.
Other badly affected areas were Thomastown, Bennettsbridge, Gowran, Goresbridge and Graiguenamanagh in Co Kilkenny; and Bagenalstown, Borris, Hacketstown, and Tullow in Co Carlow. Streets in Waterford city and main and busy regional and secondary roads in the county were well gritted and salted, according to the local authorities yesterday. – MICHAEL PARSONSand ELLA SHANAHAN
KERRY
SOME 150 schools, including most of the county’s major secondary schools, are to remain closed until Monday.
With dangerous conditions since Christmas on dozens of minor and local roads , supplies of grit were made available to the public across Kerry yesterday. All major roads were treated overnight. Council spokesman Padraig Corkery warned that the Killarney and the Glencar areas were among the worst affected and were “extremely treacherous”.
The county bounds were passable near Killarney, but areas surrounding Killarney at Glenflesk and Aghadoe were treacherous.
Bus services to Killorglin were cancelled. – ANNE LUCEY
SLIGO/MAYO
FURTHER OVERNIGHT snow and frost led to the closure of Knock airport yesterday.
Flights to and from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool, were casualties of the shutdown.
The daily commuter Aer Arann flight between Knock and Dublin was also cancelled. – TOM SHIEL