Ireland

‘It has been an absolute nightmare’: Families shelter from effects of cold snap in Limerick hotel

Longcourt Hotel in Newcastle West provides amenities for those left without heating or power as a result of recent snow and ice

Brosna, Co Kerry is one of the last places in the country to still have a heavy snow accumulation after the recent cold spell. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Brosna, Co Kerry is one of the last places in the country to still have a heavy snow accumulation after the recent cold spell. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
David Raleigh
Thu Jan 09 2025 - 18:59

Cold, hungry and exhausted, families quietly trudged into the welcoming warmth of the Longcourt Hotel in Newcastle West.

Confined to their homes by snow and ice, without electricity or water for the past four days, they finally found respite from the big freeze.

Thousands of hot meals, a much needed rest, and mobile phone charging facilities were provided by the ESB, whose crews were working in dangerous conditions to reconnect those cut off from the grid, at the Co Limerick hotel.

Visitors to the hotel on Thursday could be considered the lucky ones, however, as more people living further west and into north Kerry remained hemmed-in by snow and black ice.

READ MORE

Psychiatric nurse Deirdre Fitzgerald from Monagea, who reached the hotel with her three young sons, Darragh (12), Jack (11), and Killian (4), said: “The power went early last Sunday morning, it came back yesterday, and it went down again this morning, so it has been a disaster.

“When you have young kids and you’re trying to keep them fed and warm, it has been an absolute nightmare. I’ve never seen the likes of it before.”

Thousands of people without power have availed of the facilities in Limerick's Longcourt House Hotel, general manager Mario Puchowski says. Video: Alan Betson

Ms Fitzgerald said she continued travelling to work though the snowstorm “and because of the driving conditions I ended up having to be towed into work by a tractor, it was madness”.

“It has been horrific so we came here to the hotel just to get out, to get a bite to eat, and a change of scenery,” she told The Irish Times.

Fiona and Gerry Buckley, of Feohanagh, west Limerick, were also starved of electricity, and found themselves “reading a book by torchlight” at night.

“We had no power from Saturday until Wednesday night, but sure it could be worse, we could be in LA where those dreadful fires are, it puts everything into perspective,” Ms Buckley offered.

Despite their ordeal, Mr Buckley joked he had “reacquainted” himself with his garden shovel to clear snow and ice from outside their home.

Deirdre Fitzgerald with her sons Cillian (4), Dara (12) and Jack (11) from Monagea, Co Limerick, at the Longcourt Hotel in Newcastle West on Thursday. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Deirdre Fitzgerald with her sons Cillian (4), Dara (12) and Jack (11) from Monagea, Co Limerick, at the Longcourt Hotel in Newcastle West on Thursday. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Robert Grimes and Karol Fitzgerald from ESB Networks inform members of the Walsh Family from Gortnaclohy, Ashford, Co Limerick, about the current status of repairs to electricity lines leading to their home in the hotel. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Robert Grimes and Karol Fitzgerald from ESB Networks inform members of the Walsh Family from Gortnaclohy, Ashford, Co Limerick, about the current status of repairs to electricity lines leading to their home in the hotel. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

ESB officials Robert Grimes and Karol Fitzgerald were busy at the hotel, manning the ESB’s digital Network Management System (NMS) “nerve centre”, offering the weary visitors live satellite map updates on the locations of ESB crews and when power would be restored to homes.

“The roads out here are treacherous, we had a call from a crew a few minutes ago looking for a helicopter because they just can’t get to a customer, so that’s what we are facing,” Grimes explained.

“The important thing is that we can show our customers what is happening, show them the ESB network live so they can see the progress being made, and, of course, we can offer them a meal here in the hotel which has been absolutely brilliant to us all,” he added.

Armed with only a shovel, Sean Copse (59), braved the bitter temperatures in a T-shirt, working up a sweat clearing mounds of snow from the entrance to his frozen home located a few kilometres away.

Sean Copse, of Newcastle West, Co Limerick, clears snow and ice outside his home on Thursday. Photograph: David Raleigh
Sean Copse, of Newcastle West, Co Limerick, clears snow and ice outside his home on Thursday. Photograph: David Raleigh

“The roads are treacherous, so I walked four miles in the bad weather to get medication for a sister of mine who needs it, I was on a mission,” said Mr Copse.

“We were without electricity for three nights, basically working off lamps and an old gas cooker,” he added.

With freezing temperatures set to continue, Mario Puchowski, general manager of the Longcourt Hotel, pledged the hotel would remain a “warm hideout” to anyone in need.