LIVE STORM UPDATES: Schools, trains and bus services set to close

Here are Wednesday's updates on the local impacts of the storm, nicknamed 'The Beast From The East'.   

5.45pm: The Club Iarmhí table quiz scheduled for Thursday, March 1 in the Annebrook House Hotel has been postponed due to the expected weather conditions. It will be rescheduled at a later date.

5.30pm: Westmeath County Council has announced the closure of public offices and facilities tomorrow and Friday. 

All of the following will be closed:

- All Public Libraries in the county
- Athlone Civic Centre
- Athlone Castle & Luan Gallery
- Athlone Regional Sports Centre
- Aras an Chontae, Mullingar
- Civic Centre, Castlepollard
- Belvedere House, Gardens & Park
- Mullingar Swimming Pool
 

5.05pm: Athlone Little Theatre said tonight's performance of 'The Way You Look Tonight' is expected to go ahead as planned. Seats are available, with the curtain up at 8pm.

The performance of the play tomorrow (Thursday) has been cancelled, and the theatre has apologised for any inconvenience caused. No decision has been taken as yet in relation to Friday's performance of the play and an update on it is due to be issued on Friday on the Athlone Little Theatre Facebook page.
 

5pm: A make-up masterclass which had been scheduled to take place in Athlone's Sheraton Hotel tomorrow (Thursday) is another event which has fallen victim to the weather conditions.

The McGorisk's Pharmacy Masterclass event with Michelle Regazzoli-Stone has been rearranged for Thursday, March 15. 

 

4.45pm: Be careful on the footpaths, folks. In Athlone they've been getting increasingly slippery as the day has gone on. 

 

4.30pm: The Lidl supermarket chain announced earlier this afternoon that it will be closing all stores in Leinster and Munster from 3pm tomorrow (Thursday) until 1pm on Friday. 

 

4.20pm: Emily Clarke sent us this photo of a wintry Tormey Villas in Athlone:

 

4.15pm: Maryland GAA Club's Cheltenham preview night, which was due to take place in Dr Cuppaige's, Moate, this Friday, has been postponed and will now take place on Saturday, March 10, instead. 

 

4.05pm: Time for another snow photo! Amanda Brady took this in Kilteevan, County Roscommon, this morning:

 

4pm: Bus Eireann has just announced that NONE of its services will operate in Leinster or Munster tomorrow (Thursday) up until noon on Friday. The situation will then be reviewed. 
The company said its services in Connacht and Ulster are scheduled to operate tomorrow and Friday, subject to road conditions.  

 

3.50pm: League of Ireland soccer is the latest casualty of the 'beast'. All SSE Airtricity League games scheduled for this weekend have been postponed.

Athlone Town had been due to play their first home game of the season against Cabinteely on Friday night but that has now been rescheduled for Monday, March 19. 

 

3.45pm:Ian Lacey captured this stunning image in Mount Temple this morning:

3.42pm: Bus Eireann has announced that its Athlone town bus service is no longer in operation due to the weather. 

3.30pm: Due to the red weather alert in place, and resulting difficulties in distributing a countywide free newspaper, for health and safety reasons there will not be a print edition of our sister title The Offaly Independent this Friday.
 

2.30pm: AIT has announced the campus will close at 3pm today and remain closed until Monday morning.

Reports reaching us of severe tailbacks on the the N55 near Tubberclair after a lorry jack-knifed.

 

1.50pm: Here's a recap of the most significant updates so far today:

All schools and third-level colleges in Leinster will be closed on Thursday and Friday as a result of the major storm currently sweeping the country. 

A 'red warning' - Met Eireann's most severe warning - is coming into effect in Leinster from 4pm tomorrow (Thursday) until noon on Friday. An 'orange warning' will be in effect for Connacht for the same period. 

There will be very significant disruption to transport services tomorrow and Friday. 

Irish Rail has announced that its services will "wind down" from noon tomorrow and "no trains will operate from 14:00hrs Thursday to 12:00hrs Friday at least."

Flights to and from Ireland are also being impacted, and Ryanair has cancelled the remainder of its flights to and from Dublin Airport today (Wednesday). 
 

1.30pm: The current situation outside our offices on Sean Costello Street in Athlone: 

 

1.20pm: Caroline Maunier Walker captured this snowy scene at the Retreat Road, Athlone, this morning: 

 

1.15pm: People are being advised to get home, and stay home, by 4pm tomorrow as visibility will be very low during the expected blizzard conditions.

 

1.10pm: CONFIRMED: All schools and third-level instutions in Munster and Leinster will be closed tomorrow and Friday.

Here's the statement from the Department of Education: 

"Given the disruption to transport and the safety risks arising, most particularly in relation to the ability to get home safely before blizzard like conditions hit Munster and Leinster, all schools, third level institutions, colleges and centres of further education in red areas will be closed tomorrow and Friday.

"In relation to Connaught and Ulster decisions on school closures will be made individually depending on the circumstances in their area. The situation in Connaught and Ulster will be kept under review."

1pm: More reports are coming in from national media stating that all schools in Leinster will be closed tomorrow and Friday. We haven't seen any official confirmation of this from the Department of Education as yet.   

12.52pm: Athlone IT opened as normal this morning. The Institute is expected to issue an update at 2.30pm today.

12.50pm: RTE is now reporting that "all schools in Munster and Leinster" will be closed tomorrow and Friday

12.40pm: To say it's cold out there is an understatement. The temperature at Met Eireann's weather station in Mullingar at noon today was a finger-numbing minus three degrees! 

12.30pm: Sandy Clarke captured this snowy scene in Athlone at 6.30am:

 

12.20pm: Not all local areas were blanketed in snow this morning, as this photo from Edel Henehan shows: 

 

12.15pm: It emerged earlier that the Government will be providing a double payment in the Fuel Allowance this week to help pensioners on low incomes heat their homes.

The news has been welcomed by Age Action, which said it would be a significant help to tens of thousands of pensioners on low incomes

 

12.07pm: It's snowing again in Athlone town!

 

12.05pm:  Local history buffs have also been affected by the conditions, as a History Ireland Hedge School  which was due to take place in Athlone's Custume Barracks this week has had to be postponed. 

The event, exploring the life and legacy of John Redmond, will now take place on Wednesday, March 14, at 7pm.  

 

12 noon: Snowfall in the Midlands overnight has caused some disruption already, and the situation is expected to worsen tomorrow.

Here are some of the local impacts so far: 

* Clonbonny National School in Athlone was closed today. More widespread school closures are thought to be likely later in the week. 

* Some of Bus Eireann's services to and from Athlone have been delayed or cancelled due to the conditions. Details of specific services affected are available on www.buseireann.ie

* On Bus Eireann's Athlone town bus service, Route A1 is not serving Battery Heights and Route A2 is not serving Arcadia and Coosan.
 

11am: Met Eireann has issued its most severe weather warning for Leinster and Munster. 

The red-level warning for the province was issued this morning and will be in effect from 4pm tomorrow (Thursday) to 12 noon on Friday. 

"Blizzard-like conditions" are expected during the red alert, with "heavy snow and strong easterly winds" leading to "significant snow drifts in many areas."

A red-level warning does not automatically mean that schools have to close, but it's likely that there will be widespread closures as a result of this weather update. 

At present, a 'status orange' snow and ice warning is in effect for Westmeath until noon tomorrow, with scattered heavy snow showers expected to continue throughout the day and overnight. 

A less severe 'status yellow' weather warning is in effect for Connacht until noon tomorrow.