Summary of weather conditions around the country
Roscommon
A priest gave thanks yesterday after a strong gust of wind blew off part of his church roof 20 minutes after Mass ended.
Father Austin McKeon, parish priest of Tulsk, Co Roscommon, said he had watched in shock as the gust blew up a large section of the roof which was suspended in mid-air for 10 seconds before crashing back down.
Father McKeon, who plans to say Mass in the 150-year-old church again this morning, said 10 elderly parishioners had just attended Mass in the
church.
"It was the roof of a side chapel which was blown off but the congregation would have been deeply shocked if they were still there," he said.
"My only worry is the direction of the wind tonight. I am hoping the entire roof won't be gone in the morning," he said last night.
The priest was watching from the presbytery window when he saw part of the roof being blown into the air at about 10.50 a.m. "It even took the timbers," he said.
The church was built in 1851 and was re-roofed around 1955.
Marese McDonagh
Sligo
The west and the north of the county fared worst and Civil Defence was on standby from early morning.
A number of homes were without power from mid-afternoon but as ESB crews worked to repair fallen lines a company spokesman urged the public to make safety their first priority and stay away from fallen lines and broken poles.
High tides had breached the sea wall on the Sligo to Rosses Point road by mid-afternoon and gardaí expected that the road would be impassable for most of the night.
The Shannon burst its banks at several locations but Mr Martin Dolan, director of services with Leitrim County Council, said he was hopeful last night that no public roads would be affected.
"The water has reached the side of the N4 on the Dublin side of Carrick-on-Shannon but we raised that road in recent years and are hopeful it won't be blocked.
Fallen trees closed many roads in the north-west but with local authority crews on standby throughout the day most were cleared within an hour to 90 minutes.
Flights to and from Sligo Airport were cancelled and a spokeswoman urged travellers intending to travel today to check with the airport authorities first.
Throughout the day a number of community events were cancelled and some national schools closed early in an attempt to escape the worst of the storms. Examinations at Sligo Institute of Technology were cancelled.
Irish Farmers' Association sources said that a number of farmers had reported flooding and damage to outhouses but there were no reports last night of animals having been lost.
Marese McDonagh
Donegal
Gusts of almost 90 m.p.h. were recorded at Malin Head as high westerly winds battered most of Donegal yesterday.
Around 1,800 homes were without power for a time in Killybegs, Letterkenny and Malin areas. While power was quickly restored in most areas, some homes in the Malin area were without power last night.
The seaside towns of Killybegs, Donegal town and Bundoran were affected as the highest tide of the year backed by high winds caused some flooding.
A boat was washed up on to the pier in Donegal town.
Many school and workplaces closed at lunchtime yesterday in anticipation of severe weather.
Earlier in the day, a revolving door at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology was smashed by the force of the winds and the college closed at 1.30 p.m. Ms Sheila King of LYIT said that all 2,000 students and 250 staff were sent home as a precaution.
Donegal Airport at Carrickfin was closed as all Air Arran flights to and from the airport were cancelled.
Cronan Scanlon
Mayo islands
The storm-force winds meant a return to candlelight for Mayo's offshore islanders last night. By lunchtime yesterday the tiny island of Inishbiggle was without electricity. The roadway leading to the island's helipad had also subsided.
The islanders, who rely on a weekly "sailing shop" from nearby Achill, spent yesterday morning tying down their currachs with heavy ropes weighed down by large rocks.
Mr Jeremy Holt said the recent stormy weather has left the island short of essential supplies. "All we are worried about now is that we'll have rooves over our heads after this latest battering," he said.
Clare Island's ferries were tied up at Clochmor pier on Achill island yesterday, the nearest safe berthing point.
Despite 90 m.p.h. winds, the island's electricity operator spent the evening climbing poles, some situated on cliff edges, in an attempt to restore electricity.
"We've had some horrific weather over Christmas and the New Year but this storm is definitely the worst we've seen for some time," said Mr Niall McCabe, a director of Clare Island Community Co-Operative.
Meanwhile, on Mayo's most isolated island, Inishturk, island skippers spent the night monitoring the safety of their fishing boats and ferries.
Áine Ryan
Kerry
Hundreds of sandbags were delivered to the village of Ballylongford last night amid fears the village at the mouth of the Shannon would be flooded.Council workers were on stand by to provide assistance in the case of flooding.
In Tralee tidal areas in the vicinity of the town were flooded. Roofs were secured in a number of premises and the fire brigade was called to a premises in the Castle Street area after smelting repair works on a roof threatened to catch fire. No damage was done, gardaí said.
Floods were recorded throughout the county and in National Park area of Killarney and the south of the county there were fears of falling trees.
Gardaí urged the public to stay at home and not to make unnecessary journeys.
Anne Lucey
East Coast
In Malahide in Co Dublin, a high tide caused flooding on Bissets Strand, Strand Road and Estuary Road. The 9.15 p.m. Stena Line sailing to Hollyhead was cancelled.
The Millicent Bridge in Sallins, Co Kildare, was blocked for a period by a fallen tree, but was later cleared.
The AA has warned motorists to beware of cross winds on the M/N7
Mid-west
In Co Limerick, the N20 between Croom and Banogue was partially blocked by a tree, while in Co Clare, a telephone pole was felled on the Sandfield Road in Ennis.