A group of seven have told Boyletoday.com of a lucky escape in Lough Key Forest Park last night during Storm Ellen.
The group from Dublin made up of adults and teenagers were on the final night of a two night stay.
Camped in two tents near the main road in the Caravan and Camping Park, the group decided to abandon their canvas homes around 1.30am just before a large gust lifted both tents and blew them over to the railing.
They spoke of a funnel effect where the wind seemed to come from the east despite Storm Ellen blowing south east.
They moved to safety in their adjacent car and van for the remainder of the night, unscathed by their experience with plans to visit again next year.
Further up the road, the storm resulted in a large beech tree came down on one of the Zipit lines close to the reception area (pictured below) while a tree blocked the main entrance to the Park at Carroll’s between the first and second gate (pictured below).
A tree on the Beech Walk also was uprooted falling into an adjacent field but taking some of the road with it (pic below).
A warning has been issued to walkers in Lough Key Forest Park to avoid walking in the wooded areas of the ‘Park for the next day or so due to overhanging branches which could fall.
The storm raged in Boyle from approximately 1am until after 3am.
At one stage 666 customers in Boyle were without electricity with the report being logged with ESB Networks at 2.30am.
Power outages remain in Cootehall, Corrigenroe and the Gurteen area on Thursday morning along with 168 in the Boyle area with power estimated to be returned in Boyle by 1pm.
Gardai are advising motorists to drive with care this morning as falling debris and branches are making conditions dangerous especially on secondary and back roads.
Met Eireann are predicting Thursday to be very windy, with a mix of bright or sunny spells and scattered showers, some heavy and merging to give longer spells of rain at times, with a risk of thundery downpours. There is also a risk of localised flooding. Maximum temperatures 16 to 19 Celsius, in strong and gusty southerly winds.
A Status Yellow rainfall warning is in place also for ‘heavy squally downpours and thunderstorms will bring a risk of spot flooding’ until 5am Friday morning.
