Ireland West Airport to close during height of Storm Éowyn

Ireland West Airport has confirmed that it will close during the height of Storm Éowyn on Friday.

The Knock-based airport will be non-operational between the hours of 4 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday, January 24th, due to the Status Red storm warning in place across the country where Storm Éowyn is forecasted to have gusts in excess of 130km/h.

Passengers due to travel on flights scheduled between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. are advised not to travel to the airport. The terminal building will not be accessible to members of the public during this time period.

Friday’s scheduled service to and from London Heathrow has been cancelled by Aer Lingus.

The airport will continue to monitor the situation, and it is expected that the airport will be fully operational at 1 p.m. after the Status Red warning expires, subject to safety checks being carried out to assess whether any damage has occurred and to ensure the safety of passengers, staff and the general public.

At this point, it is anticipated that flights scheduled to operate from 2.45 p.m. onwards will operate as scheduled. However, this is subject to change based on the weather conditions at the time.

Passengers due to travel to the airport on Friday morning are advised to contact their airlines for further information.

Ireland West Airport has apologised for any inconvenience caused, but added that the safety of staff, customers and partners was of utmost importance during the period whilst the Status Red weather warning is in place.

Meanwhile, due to the predicted severity of Storm Éowyn, Uisce Éireann has activated its incident management processes, including deploying generators at key sites where power outages are likely.

Uisce Éireann crews will mobilise and assess any damage to plants as soon as safe to do so and work to restore supply as quickly as possible. It is also in touch with key stakeholders through the National Emergency Co-ordination Group and with the ESB to co-ordinate the return of power to key water services sites post-storm.

In the event of a loss of supply, most properties should have adequate storage in their attic tanks for hygiene purposes for at least 24 hours. There are some simple steps people can take to conserve their water, such as avoiding the use of water-intensive appliances during this time.

Storm Éowyn is set to bring the country to a standstill on Friday. Schools, creches and many businesses will close, and hospital appointments have been cancelled. 

County Roscommon is under a Status Red wind warning between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Friday as the storm, predicted to be one of the most powerful to hit the country in decades, tracks across the country.