15,000 left without electricity

The bad weather is playing havoc with electricity supplies, as 15,000 homes have been left without power.

The north and east have been worst affected, with ESB engineers working furiously to repair two 10,000-volt lines in Co Louth, which have both suffered major damage.

A 38,000-volt power station in the area has also been heavily affected by the snowstorms.

The ESB say residents in north Dublin, Dundalk, Drogheda, Arklow and the Co Donegal towns of Buncrana and Killybegs are all experiencing power outages.

In Wexford, the Kilmuckridge and Ballygarrett areas have been left without power - as a result, some schools in the county are to remain shut today.

Further problems are expected on the south coast later this morning as weather conditions worsen in an area that has largely remained unscathed so far.