Flying swans, itchy bulls and other animals blamed for 1,500 power outages in a year

In one case in Cork, a farmer was forced to fence off the area around a pole to stop one of his bulls from scratching himself on it.

Swans flying into overhead wires and bulls using electricity poles as scratching posts were among the more unusual causes of power cuts around Ireland.

ESB Networks records reveal more than 1,500 incidents where animals — rather than harsh weather or technical faults — were blamed for knocking out power to homes and businesses.