'It feels like the ESB think that we don’t matter,' claims Donegal businessman

A Malin Head homeowner and businessman is calling on the ESB to urgently upgrade its infrastructure to help curtail frequent power outages in the area.

Philip McFadden, who runs SolasTobann Arthouse B&B with wife Audrey at Ballyhillin near Banba’s Crown, was left without electricity for ten straight days following Storm Eowyn.

The couple eventually had to move out of their home and cancel a number of accommodation bookings as a consequence.

However, while extreme Storm Eowyn was viewed as something of a once-off, Philip says outages are becoming more and more commonplace, caused by a failing and outdated power network that literally can’t stand the wind in Malin Head.

“We’re living here five years now and our electricity keeps going off, every so often. The poles in the same area are being blown down every year.”

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“The last storm [Eowyn] was an extreme storm, but last year our electricity was also out for six days in one go, and maybe another two or three days or half days here and there too.”

He says the network is clearly not robust enough for a place like Malin Head, which is exposed to the elements on a regular basis, all year-round.

“Malin Head is always going to be stormy but they don’t seem to be coming up with any solutions to the problem.”

“They keep coming back again and again to the same locations to fix the poles, which aren’t strong enough. The last time they were here I told them that they’ll be back fixing the poles again later this year and next year too.”

“There'll be storms right up to April in Malin Head and there could be summer storms also, so they’ll definitely be back.”

Philip feels that power lines would be better buried underground, particularly in problematic areas like Ballyhillin, which is just below the tower at Ireland's most northerly headland.

“Obviously it costs more money to do that, but how much money has been wasted fixing the same failing poles time and again?” he asks.

“They could put certain areas underground, areas like ours that are blighted with wind. We're 200 metres from the sea one way, and a quarter of a mile from the sea the other way. We're right in the middle of a wind-tunnel here.”

He says the frequency of electricity outages is hampering the business.

“We're trying to run a business here. We got this house retro-fitted. We've got a heat pump and we're in the middle of getting solar panels fitted too. We're trying to go down that route.”

“But if we can’t keep the electric on consistently then what’s the point? We're trying to do the right thing but our legs are being taken from underneath us. I feel like I’m going to be forced into buying a petrol generator even though I don’t want one.”

“It feels like the ESB think that we don’t matter because only a small handful of people live here. We seem to be at the end of the line.”

Philip also highlighted a potentially serious issue affecting an elderly relative.

“We're looking after Audrey's father and he's got a panic button. If he hits that panic button, the provider will contact us immediately, but in a situation where the power’s off, they can't get through to us.”

ESB Response

Meanwhile, when contacted about the issue, a spokesperson for ESB Networks said Storm Eowyn caused unprecedented damage across the country, including here in Inishowen.

They also played down the issue of ongoing outages at Malin Head, saying that many other areas of County Donegal have been worse impacted by localised faults over recent months.

“ESB Networks can confirm that unplanned outages which have impacted the Malin Head area have been as a result of the severe weather experienced over recent months, most notably Storm Eowyn, which left approximately 87,000 customers without power right across Co Donegal,” the spokesperson said.

“Storm Eowyn, as predicted in advance, was an unprecedented storm in modern times in Ireland. The storm's hurricane-force winds resulted in extensive damage to the electricity network, far beyond anything experienced previously.”

They added: “The local ESB Networks team can also confirm that in recent months, outside of severe weather events, the Malin Head area was one of the parts of County Donegal least impacted by localised faults. However, we do acknowledge the impact that unplanned outages have on family and commercial life.”