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Updated 11.00 pm
STORM OPHELIA GAVE Ireland an absolute pasting today as it made its laborious way across the country.
Trees were ripped up by the roots, roofs were peeled back and tossed aside, and, tragically, at least three people died – the hurricane-force winds showed no mercy.
As we write, 58-year-old Waterford woman Clare O’Neill and Michael Pyke (31) from Tipperary have been named as the first two victims of the storm. A third man, in Co Louth, has not yet been identified locally.
Nowhere in the country has been safe.
On the Boreenmanna Road in Co Cork, Aoife Murphy captured these shots of the destructive force of Storm Ophelia, with a tree ripped up and tossed aside like confetti.
In Co Galway, meanwhile, the storm left behind pounding waves and sodden roads along the coast as it made its way northward:
In Coolcotts, Wexford town, the roof of Scoil Mhuire Primary School was blown clean off:
That was to become something of a recurring theme: in Cork city, a large portion of the roof of the Cork City FC stadium at Turner’s Cross has been ripped off.
Cork is suffering badly – this shows part of the roof of Passage West’s GAA clubhouse blowing close to houses in the village:
Meanwhile, an avenue of trees came loose from their moorings and completely blocked Centre Park Road in Cork city:
Things were no prettier in Charleville:
In nearby Douglas in Cork, the sports hall of the Community School has been devastated:
The midlands did not emerge unscathed – these trees were ripped from the ground at Abbeylands in Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
A TheJournal.ie user has been in touch with this short video of what appears to be part of an apartment balcony railing flapping perilously around the Beacon Quarter in Sandyford, south Dublin. (Fire services have just intervened to pull the piece of sheeting back into the apartment block):
Close to TheJournal.ie offices in Dublin, this is happening (don’t worry – we have all gone to work offsite for the duration of the storm):
The flashing on this roof has since been secured by members of Dublin Fire Brigade.
As illustrated by the tragic death of the woman in Waterford, the danger of large branches and trees felled by the wind cannot be underestimated. A man has been killed near Cahir in Co Tipperary while using a chainsaw to try to clear a fallen tree.
In Cork, near Fota Wildlife Park:
This tree is lying across Leeson Street in Dublin:
And not far away, in Ranelagh, Dublin 6, this old giant on Northbrook Road has collapsed onto a house:
Fallen telegraph poles and electric cables are also a massive hazard – around 200,000 households – business and residential – are without power because of the onslaught of the past few hours. Find out more about that here.
Even if you think you have taken all precautions and your belongings can’t move in the wind, this image taken by Prezmyslaw Nawrocki in Lahinch, Co Clare, which has suffered more than its share of storm damage over the years, shows little is escaping Ophelia:
The National Emergency Coordination Group has said in the last hour that “the immediate storm will not abate over the south coast until 4-6pm and midnight for the north of the country”. Please stay safe and keep indoors if possible. If there is damage to be seen outside your window, by all means email to us at tips@thejournal.ie, tweet or Facebook us, but please don’t venture out on our behalf.
Additional reporting Cianan Brennan
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A brutal storm. Hats off to the esb crews and emergency services. Also want to pay a special thanks to the members of the Gardai who played a great role today. We are very quick to criticise them but slow to commend. These people aren’t told to stay at home from work when the weather is bad but yet have to travel the same roads to work
@Sandra O’Fucáif: people died you moron. Would have been more casualties if it weren’t for the place closing down
I’ll give it another half hour and my roof will be blown off… I haven’t taking my eye off the tree behind my house.. looks like it could come crashing down any second… IV NO REGRETS!!!
@Dave Mooney: I’ll tell your dog you loved him if anything happens to you!
@Dave Mooney: Just keeping an eye on my neighbour’s 40ft fir tree that’s seriously trying to limbo dance – literally bending over backwards, winds are gusting badly then all calm for a while, then it kicks off again. Not a bird or animal in sight for hours.
@molly coddled: Hopefully all the animals are taking shelter somewhere, I hate to think of all their homes destroyed right before winter :(
@molly coddled: stay safe my friend
@Dave Mooney: can I have your pick-up truck?
People literally don’t use literally enough.
@Alan Leahy: basically I agree with you.
@kjholt: like hashtag like much literally with chocolate on top totally schmotally mazeballs.
@Alan Leahy: totaly
@Alan Leahy: ACTUALLY..
Ireland completely caught out by the storm, buildings really not ready for these kind of winds , cars are one of the most dangerous places to be right now no jobs worth risky it all
@Matthew O’Kane: are you ok there Matthew…
@Matthew O’Kane:
Considering it has been 30 years since we have had a storm like this, I don’t think we’re doing too bad. We can’t design and plan for every eventuality. We damn lucky to live in a country where we are rarely really inconvenienced by the weather
@Matthew O’Kane: completely caught out???? Stop talking nonsense. We have prepared as best as possible with regular updates over the past few days. Nothing more can be done.
@Paul Mc Manus: He appears to mean we should habe been rebuilding outr buildimfs and vehicles for specifically this storm, several years ago.
@Tweety McTweeter: I was waiting for a lot of rain heavier wind but thank god the rain kep away I got a lot of washing done. . I was in Portugal one year heavy rain worse wind and thunder and lighting.. I don’t see this as a heavy storm my bins haven’t event moved yet and I’m in Dublin 5. I feel bad for all the country people. . Oh yes fecking planes are flying over my house doesn’t sound like to many are cancelled…
@Tweety McTweeter: 2014 was worse.
@Sinead jane: well thats it then , the storm wasn’t a storm and you got the washing out
Where’s Teresa Mannion when you need her?
@Hoo: in salthill at the moment.
We’ve just lost power. House is grand at the moment though.
@Lily: where you at Lily?
@j4VEpUO8: eh she doesn’t need you to come round TJ you stay where you are thanks all the same.
@Sean: She’s got you for that, eh??
Still see cars driving
@Charlie O’Neill: What are they driving?
@WinSomeLoseSome: brilliant ted
Everyone trying to be funny on here would bore the life of you. Getting more like facebook everyday people looking for likes
@Kieran Stafford: I’m afraid this is what happens when you keep a whole nation indoors all day. At least we’re all safe.
Just got calm in Cork city. Round 2 coming latter
@prop joe: Yeah, it’s supposed to pick up again in a while. Better not to venture out just in case
@prop joe: must say it’s a shame to see the trees on center park road down
Tis only a bit of wind lads, keep yer hair or yer knickers on.
@Patrick James Walsh: why not both?
anyone no were still open in sligo west ,cant drink tea without milk, gonna send the missus on the bike so has to be near,
The fascia on our house has just disappeared into the abyss
still alive in county sligo. thank god, hope it blows over soon
Cork got hammered I’m in fermoy it’s after calming now but it was frightening here.
And idiots still driving around thinking it’s cool. (Before anyone lashes out, I’m talking about idiots who are literally out just to get a good video/selfie) not ones who are out for emergency.
Thank god I’m on hols in the Canary Islands
We had a balmy day here …..me thinks the lady protests too much…wired…..
I was at work in elephant and castle, busy night, forgot about the storm!!
It is absolutely crazy that the Local Authorities are not monitoring trees adjacent to main thoroughfares, and ensuring that either they or the respective landowners ensure that trees that can be deemed a danger to Road users be cut back or cut down. The responsibility for trees or branches falling onto public roadways should be deemed the responsibility of the land owner and they should be held responsible, this is not an act of God it is an act of stupidity and negligence.
Thank god I’m on hols in the Canary Islands
I would like to see a campaign start to have all trees which are near roadways and foot paths removed. I believe that trees are a major hazard when they are close to roadways. Again, the only loss of life during this storm was caused by falling trees. I personally witnessed a “near miss ” when a car with 4 people had moved moments before a large tree section fell on the spot where it had been parked. It is also quite astonishing to see power lines passing through tree branches along the road and foot paths in built up housing estates.
@Tom Mc Manus: I like trees. Ireland does not have enough of them. They eat CO2 which is good. This was a manic storm with 160km winds and saturated roots w/ torrential rain before the big winds hit.
F*ck you 2016
@DarkHorse: do you mean f u 2017
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