More than 100 members of French electricity crews were brought in to help Ireland in the aftermath of Storm Ophelia with 30 servicemen deployed from Kilworth Camp.
The crew from of Électricité de France were working alongside ESB Networks’ own crews as well as with members of the Defence Forces, crews from the Northern Ireland Electricity Network and other overseas utilities to restore electricity to the thousands of homes and businesses without it in the days after the storm.
Members from the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish electricity network crews stayed at Corbett Court with up to 100 workers dining out at the restaurant every night.
The French crew and members of the ESB were housed and fed at Kilworth Camp for the duration of their stay, as they worked 12 hour stints to help restore electricity to local areas in the wake of Storm Ophelia.
Ian Harrington, Officer Commanding Training Installation Kilworth 1 Southern Brigade, said ‘hundreds of people would have been without electricity for longer had it not been for the help of Électricité de France members.’
“They worked long days and Brigadier General Paddy Flynn was instrumental in coordinating their stay at Kilworth Camp,” added Mr Harrington.
Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses were left without power but electricity has since been restored to them.
ESB say that Storm Brian hampered the restoration effort in many areas and even caused some new faults.
