Leitrim residents gather to plan for future storm power cuts

“The feedback on the street was that something has to be done,“ says Jemima Tahany, Chairperson of the Killargue Community Development Association, who is organising a public meeting regarding the power outages for people in north Leitrim that will be held on the 24th of February at 8 pm.

Killargue, like many places in Leitrim, was badly affected by storm Eówyn, especially in the rural areas outside the village. The community centre in Killargue was without power until Friday.

Jemima says she sought a generator while the area was without power to give locals a place to access electricity. However, she was told by the county council that nearby centres in Dromahair and Manorhamilton already served the area.

She was given care packages and water to hand out at the centre, though she feels that going forward, the centre needs a generator, as the centres in surrounding areas are too far for some residents.

“It’s elderly people we are talking about, they don't drive or they don't drive too far and they don't ask for help, they are very private people.”

The goal of the meeting is to have members of the public come, share how they have coped, and plan for the future by discussing what can be done differently next time, she says.

“It will happen in the future until they put the lines underground and stop having the trees and stop having the trees planted, Leitrim is covered in forestry so it will happen again so we need to be prepared,” she said.

More importantly, for Jemima, it is about giving people a space where they can come together, share their experiences, and try to highlight the issue to the government. “The more experiences, the more words we get from people, the more (The Government) can take on board the severity of the issue,” she says.

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