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ESB crews work to restore power to hundreds of homes across Galway
Galway bay fm newsroom – ESB crews are still working to restore power to around four hundred customers across Galway following overnight storms.
Homes and businesses in Moycullen, Roundstone, Clifden, Cashal and Oughterard are still without electricity this afternoon.
Networks are still switched off in Salthill for safety reasons following flood damage.
A spokesperson for the ESB says crews are on site at each of the faults and expect repairs to be completed today.
Water has begun to recede in Salthill along the Promenade which is open to local traffic but motorists are advised to avoid the area as crews work to remove debris.
Sections of the concrete path along the prom have been torn up, and several cars have been abandoned.
Leisureland has been extensively flooded and is expected to close for the next three days.
The commemorative garden to organ donors being developed at Quincentennial park in Salthill has also been flooded.
Several roads in the county including the Ballyconneely to Clifden road at Aillebrack, beach road at Cleggan, and Cashel area at Cloonisle.
The boundary wall in Ballyconneely in Connemara has been breached this morning as a result of stormy conditions causing a tidal surge.
In Barna, three boats which broke away from the pier have been washed up on the beach along with a number of smaller currachs.
The pier and the front walls of some of the houses facing the beach have been damaged by flood water.
In Spiddal, the promenade is down to one lane due to rocks and debris, and a lifeguard station has been blown across the road.
A lifeguard station in Salthill was also blown up onto the footpath.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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