County in lockdown

AN eerily quiet O’Connell Street around midday on Monday as Sligo braced itself for hurricane Ophelia.

Shops, schools, colleges were all closed and public transport had ground to a halt.

The warnings were heeded and Sligo like other counties went into lockdown as hurricane Ophelia lashed the country in the early afternoon on Monday.

The county resembled Christmas Day such was the level of desertion on the streets of the main towns and villages.

The hurricane, the worst to hit the country since hurricane Debbie in 1961, hit Sligo around 3pm with strong wind and rain lasting until midnight.

By then most people were indoors having taken the advice of the Government’s National Emergency Co-ordination Committee.

Most employers had closed by lunchtime to allow employees get home safely. All schools and colleges were closed on Monday and bus and rail services were also suspended. All flights in and out of Knock Airport were cancelled on Monday.

Hospital appointments were also deferred and GP’s also closed for the day. HSE Home Care Services including visits from Public Health Nurses and Home Help Staff were restricted to essential work and will reflect the type of service we provide on Sundays and Bank Holidays

The Sligo Champion shut its offices on Tuesday at lunchtime, deferring publication of this week’s edition by one day to today ( Wednesday). Fortunately, the county escaped any significant damage with no reports of any injuries. There was no major structural damage caused with fallen trees proving to be the biggest hazard. In the run up to the closure of shops, many people rushed to buy essentials such as bread and milk with queues forming in many stores before they closed for the day.