Crew’s cool heads help deliver baby after drama
serve customers in such challenging circumstances.
“We will re-open on Friday afternoon subject to weather conditions and we ask our customers to be patient with us as we try to get back up and running as quickly as possible.”
Lidl followed suit and said in a statement: “On the back of the extended Government advice to stay indoors, which now applies to the whole of the Republic of Ireland, we will extend the previously communicated closures in Leinster and Munster to the rest of the Republic of Ireland.
“All stores will now be closed from 3pm today until Friday afternoon.
“Regional management may make decisions to extend these closures at local level depending on the weather conditions in their area.
“As always we will continue to actively monitor the situation as it evolves with colleague and customer safety always in mind.”stena
Line also stopped operating services as a result the harsh conditions.
It said yesterday: “Following the Red Weather Warning which is now in place and advice from the Irish National Emergency Management Coordinating Group, Stena Line has decided in the interests of the health, safety and wellbeing of its customers and staff to close Terminal 2, Dublin Port and Rosslare Port from today March 1 at 2pm until 2pm ROUGH Friday
March 2.
“Customers are advised to visit Stena Line’s website www.stenaline.ie or call Ferrycheck on 01 907 5500 for the latest travel information.”
Meanwhile, there was outrage after Ballymun Post Office ran out of money while trying to pay social welfare payments.
On Wednesday it was decided they would be accessible early due to the weather. Local councillor Noellen Reilly said: “Ballymun Post Office has ran out of money. No further payments until Monday.
“This is the fault of the Goverment who left it until the last minute to make these decisions meaning the Post offices didn’t have the funds. People will be left high and dry now.” Few venture on to N7
Anyone who is an AIB or Ulster Bank Account member can go in and getthemoneyput s t r a i g h t o n their cards.
A Government statement issued on Wednesday said: “The Department has made arrangements with An Post and the Banks to provide Friday payments earlier than usual for customers who may need to collect their payment earlier in areas impacted by the severe weather.”
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service cancelled all donation clinics nationwide yesterday.
Clinics in Dublin in Stillorgan and D’olier Street and Tinahely, Co Wicklow and Cavan town closed.
And all letter and parcel services within the Red Alert Zone counties have been suspended until further notice. TWO hero paramedics delivered a healthy baby girl on the side of a road after the ambulance her mum was travelling in got stuck in snow.
The drama unfolded at 6am on Wednesday when an ambulance crew based in Carlow town received a 999 call to bring a woman who had gone into labour to St Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny city, 38km away.
The crew of Martin Gorry and paramedic colleague Derry O’toole tried to reach the woman’s home on a hill in the Weir’s apartment complex in Graiguecullen on the Carlow/laois border.
However, despite several tries the ambulance got stuck in the snow an they were forced to call fire services to help to get it out.
It took up to 12 officers around an hour to free the vehicle.
CONTRACTIONS
The paramedics continued to help the Nigerian woman, now a mum of three who has been living in Ireland 10 years, as her contractions continued.
However, they were forced to pull over 5km from Kilkenny city when it became clear the baby wasn’t going to wait.
Mr Gorry said: “No matter how hard we tried to get the ambulance up the hill in Graiguecullen the vehicle became more and more bogged down in the snow and ice.
“We were left with no other alternative but to firstly call National Ambulance Services headquarters to tell them about what was happening so they could dispatch another ambulance immediately.
“Her contractions were quite close together. We were working with the lady to keep her calm and controlled.
“The fire officers eventually got the ambulance freed just as the second ambulance was arriving.
“It followed us to Kilkenny and Derry drove as safely and quickly as he could but the closer we edged our way to Kilkenny it was obvious the lady’s baby was arriving faster than we could make it to St Luke’s.
“Derry and I made the decision to pull over as our priority was for the lady and the safe delivery of the baby.
“Thankfully mum did all the hard work and a beautiful baby girl was born safely at around 8am. Both are doing well in hospital.”