Around 16,000 people in the county were without power after Storm Darragh - ESB

At its height, approximately 16,000 people in County Roscommon were without power after Storm Darragh, the ESB estimates. It also reiterated that it would not be compensating or refunding its customers due to the power outage. 

While thousands were affected, some people remained without power until Saturday, December 14th, meaning frozen food had to be thrown away as it had spoiled. ESB workers and other emergency services have been praised for their incredible hard work in difficult conditions in the aftermath of the storm.

According to a spokesperson for the ESB, at 7 a.m. on Saturday 7th December, approximately 25,000 customers in County Longford and County Roscommon were without power.

“We estimate that during that peak, approximately 16,000 of those customers were in County Roscommon,” she said.

She explained that South Roscommon is managed from the Longford depot, while North Roscommon is managed from Carrick-on-Shannon.

“ESB Networks understand that power outages can be distressing, particularly for some customers that have been without power for a number of days in the aftermath of a major storm,” the spokesperson continued.

“Major storms typically cause substantial access issues for our crews and contractors when it comes to restoration works due to fallen trees which require specialist equipment to clear pathways, blocked by flooding, landslides, waterlogged fields, and prolonged high winds after the peak wind event. Our crews work long hours and do their utmost to restore power as quickly as possible.” Storms are a natural force of nature and are a force majeure event.

“ESB Networks do not compensate or refund for distress and/or loss of freezer contents, running costs of customers generation, etc. We recommend that customers check their home or business insurance policy to confirm what is covered under their policy.”