The sun shone brilliantly in Cork yesterday, but the freezing temperatures meant conditions on many roads were treacherous and Cork Airport was closed for several hours, delaying around 1,000 passengers.
The weather in other parts of the county was worse, with grey skies and snow showers throughout the day. On the main Cork-Dublin road there were a number of dangerous icy patches. The Garda in Fermoy said a number of lorries had jack-knifed in the morning, including one in the town, which caused further traffic delays.
Snow on the runway in Cork Airport meant there were no flights from 8 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. A spokesman for Aer Rianta said the airport was different from others because it was 600 feet above sea level and affected worse by adverse weather conditions. The runway, he said, had been covered in freezing snow.
The spokesman said around 12 flights were affected, mostly to the UK. The passengers were diverted to other airports or had their flights rescheduled to the afternoon. Asked about flights this morning he said he "wouldn't be too hopeful" if there was more snow overnight and the icy conditions continued.
The Three Tenors concert, due to take place in Millstreet last night, was cancelled because of weather conditions and will be rescheduled.
According to Mr Joe Fitzgerald, area manager with Bus Eireann, no buses travelled between Cork and Dublin yesterday. Conditions were partic ularly bad between Watergrasshill and Fermoy, and from there to Mitchelstown. Bus services to west Cork, Tralee, Limerick and Galway were also suspended, although services to east Cork and to Clonmel, Kilkenny and Waterford operated normally.
Bus services on the north side of Cork city were cancelled yesterday morning. Mr Fitzgerald said road surfaces were very unsafe, although the south and west of the city, which are flatter, were not badly affected. In the afternoon, after the ice had thawed, it was possible to resume service to most areas.