Opinion: Storm Éowyn turned western communities upside down

Last week, I sat in Ballindine availing of the much sought-after coverage in the area.

Only down the road, in the village of Irishtown, coverage was non-existent. Another 11km away, the town of Dunmore in North Galway, lay in darkness with no sign of electricity a week on from Storm Éowyn.

I have to admit that I was fortunate to be abroad when the storm dismantled the West. When local towns were dealing with the aftermath of the damage, I happened to be in Liverpool, taking in ‘You'll Never Walk Alone’ at Anfield as the Reds ran riot against Ipswich.

It was quite bizarre to listen to the lyrics of Gerry and the Pacemaker’s acclaimed song, “At the end of a storm, there's a golden sky” - words which were not so true around Mayo and Galway areas over the last week.

Travelling through Ireland West Airport also brought a stark reality. I watched on as passengers made use of the facility's electricity thanks to its generator. Only three days prior, flights had been cancelled with the airport experiencing record-breaking winds of 156km per hour.

A few days later, on my way to the east, I drove through the parishes of Dunmore, Clonberne and Moylough with very few lights present to guide me on the way. It was a real eye-opener of how communities can be turned upside down in one night.

The historic storm has made us realise how much we rely on the basic necessities of life. I can guarantee that most recent conversations have revolved around the storm in some way or another.

I hope by the time this article is published there has been an improvement in the situation and people can get back to their day-to-day lives.

We now know that the country will have to be more prepared for the next eventual serious storm.