Cavan still in grip of the ice

Cavan continues to be gripped by arctic weather conditions with temperatures dropping a low as minus 11 degrees in West Cavan over the Christmas period causing havoc for motorists, farmers and pedestrians alike. A spokesman for Cavan County Council said that all the main routes had been gritted but the secondary roads had not. He added that the cold snap had lasted longer than they had expected and their gritting stocks had dwindled substantially. "We are doing the best we can under the circumstances", he said. Mr. Alan Lyons, Cavan Town Engineer, speaking to the Anglo Celt on Tuesday said that "water supply to a number of areas across County Cavan continues to be affected by the recent sub-zero temperatures which have caused a significant number of bursts within customers' homes and which have also affected parts of the water main network." All parts of the county were experiencing difficulties but particularly Cavan town, Cootehill, Gowna and Arva, he added. Continuing he said that water supply to affected areas may be switched off, particularly at night, to conserve water supplies. Due to the significant number of bursts within private properties the water supply network was currently experiencing unprecedented demand as water continued to run within these premises. "Cavan County Council is asking all key holders to check their premises for leaks and bursts and to take immediate action to repair them", said Mr. Lyons. To help restore water supplies as soon as possible, Mr. Lyons urged customers not to run taps unnecessarily as a running tap can lose 3,000 gallons per day which is increasing demand unnecessarily on the network and may cause some properties to lose supply. He said that if someone experiences a burst on their property they are advised to turn water off immediately at the stop valve and take action to have the burst repaired. Mr. Lyons recommended that people protect their pipes by placing a small heater near pipes which were liable to freeze and open their loft to allow warm air to circulate. Customers were also asked to help identify burst water mains across the county. If anyone notices any bursts or 'runs of water' they are asked to report these immediately to Cavan County Council by calling 049 4378300. While the main roads in the county are passable many of the secondary routes have been described as "treacherous" by gardai who are advising motorists to use extreme caution if they have to travel. Some roads were still impassable and roads around Butlersbridge, Ballinagh, Arva and Gowna were still in a dangerous condition. Gardai also advised people to look in on their elderly neighbours to be sure they are safe and lack nothing. Weather conditions are unlikely to improve over the coming week according to Met Eireann with "very sharp frosts" expected for the rest of the week. A Met Eireann spokesman said the cold spell would continue into the New Year. There would be outbreaks of rain, sleet or snow in many areas. He said that a hard frost was expected on New Year's Eve with a risk of icy conditions with temperatures dropping to -5C or lower. Nigel Byres, Cavan Secretary of the ICMSA, said "logistics is the biggest problem for farmers." The current conditions were having a devastating effect on the farming community. "Farmers main concerns are freezing pipes and the effect the weather is having on animals." Meal lorries were also having difficulty getting through to some farms due to the road conditions. While farmers are "geared up" for the winter they were not expecting the conditions to last so long, he said. "Black ice is a problem especially on concrete farm yards and there has been a number minor injuries to farmers." Farmers were also experiencing difficulty in moving tractors and other farm machinery around.