Freeze keeps icy grip on rural communities

THE biggest freeze up in 47 years has brought much of rural Ireland to a standstill with many areas isolated due to snow and ice on secondary roads.

Water supplies are disrupted due to frozen pipes, social events have been cancelled, public services curtailed and many schools are unlikely to re-open after the Christmas holidays because of icy roads.

Fodder supplies, already scarce since the pre-Christmas flooding, are running out on many farms and acres of potatoes can’t be harvested.