Fault leaves Offaly homes without power as Storm Agnes arrives

A number of houses in Tullamore will be without electricity supply until this evening due to a fault, it has been confirmed. 

The power outage is currently affecting 82 houses at Sragh, in Tullamore. 

It began just after 1pm, with power not expected to be restored until 4.45 pm, according to ESB Networks. 

"We apologise for the loss of supply. We are currently working to repair a fault affecting your premises and will restore power as quickly as possible," they stated. 

Storm Agnes has wreaked havoc in the southern part of the country in particular, with power-outages mainly concentrated in Kerry, Cork and south Tipperary. At present, a few thousand customers are said to be affected and ESB Networks is deploying crews to deal with outages where conditions allow.

A Status Orange wind warning has been issued for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Waterford by Met Éireann. A Status Orange rain warning has also been issued for Cork, Kerry and Waterford.

A Status Yellow wind warning has also been issued for Leinster, Munster and Galway until midnight.

Met Éireann has warned of coastal flooding, difficult travel conditions, power outages and fallen trees

As the operator of Ireland’s gas network, Gas Networks Ireland has reassured its 720,000 customers that it does not anticipate any disruption to gas supplies during Storm Agnes.

It says Ireland’s gas network is one of the safest and most modern gas networks in the world and with the added security of its 14,664km of pipeline being underground it is unlikely to be impacted by adverse weather conditions.

"All works are currently scheduled to take place as normal, however as the safety of our staff, customers and the public is paramount, our teams will assess conditions locally and may defer some work if required for safety reasons," a spokesperson said.

Irrespective of what alert is in place, Gas Networks Ireland emergency services continue to operate as normal. They urge anyone who smells gas at home or on the street, please call 1800 20 50 50 immediately.