'Its a nice feeling'

Sheltered community without power now for six days.

"Its a nice feeling," says Niall Sheridan, warden of St John's Close- a sheltered community of 26 houses with 30 residents near Virginia- after power came back on earlier this afternoon.

Power was restored to the local estate at around 1:30pm after it was left without for six days straight.

Mr Sheridan thanks local elected representative and Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, TP O'Reilly, for intervening on the matter.

The St John's Retirement Village on the outskirts of Virginia Town has 30 residents total, most of whom are considered vulnerable, and the oldest of which is 92.

Water was only restored on Wednesday.

St John's Close and the nursing home next to it were all but cut off in the early stages of the storm aftermath, with five large trees felled blocking both access and exit.

The fallen trees were cut through and Cavan Civil Defence delivered hot meals to residents over the weekend. Virginia Fire Brigade even managed to connect a standpipe to the mains to provide water which Niall and his fellow residents then carted door-to-door to those without.

Emergency lighting was also provided by the local fire service, enough so that Niall and some of the more able bodied residents are able to check on their neighbours once darkness falls.

However, Niall, who is a founder of Virginia First Responders, and a former Chief Fire Officer from his time living in Canada’s Yukon territory many years ago, was left in the dark about when electricity might return.

Most of the houses are retrofitted, and completely reliant on electricity for the most basic of services. Aside from the obvious there are also issues should a possible medical emergency arise with panic alarms no longer working.

“I was told the second [of February], fourth, the fifth, and the eighth.”

He called Minister James Browne's arrival to Cavan, having already visited Longford, and before travelling on to Monaghan as “little more than lip service. A PR stunt.”