Major transport disruption as flooding closes roads and railway stations across Ireland
Storm Bram has battered Ireland with strong winds and potential for rough seas, causing major disruption to transport and infrastructure across the country.
As of 12:15pm today, approximately 22,000 homes and businesses remain without power as the storm continues to impact the country. The aviation sector has been severely affected, with 42 flights canceled at Dublin Airport, comprising 21 inbound and 21 outbound services. The majority of cancellations involved UK-bound flights.
Dublin and Shannon airports have advised passengers to check with their airlines for updated flight information. Sea warnings have caused delays and cancellations for ferry services, including Stena Line and Irish Ferries routes.
Domestic transport is facing significant disruption across multiple modes. In Cork City, flooding has closed Wandesford Quay entirely, while traffic has been reduced to one lane on Lavitt’s Quay and South Terrace.
Railway services have been severely impacted, with bus replacement services operating between Kilkenny and Waterford after Waterford station was closed due to flooding. A fallen tree on the Dublin-Cork line has also disrupted train services.
Numerous public events and attractions have been canceled for safety reasons, including Christmas markets in Macroom, Galway and Belfast. The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre in Clare, all Kerry County Council recycling centers, the Wild Lights event at Dublin Zoo and a concert at the National Concert Hall are among the closures.
County councils have urged road users to exercise extreme caution when traveling, with warnings about flooding, fallen trees, debris and dangerous driving conditions across affected areas.
The storm has vindicated Met Éireann’s orange and red weather warnings issued for multiple counties, with coastal areas experiencing the worst impacts as predicted. Emergency services and local authorities continue to respond to incidents across the country as Storm Bram progresses.
ESB Networks is working to restore power to affected homes and businesses, though restoration times remain uncertain given the scale of the outages and ongoing dangerous weather conditions.