LIVE UPDATES

20:18 Traffic diverted in Limerick after a 110ft Christmas tree broke free of moorings and collided with the Shannon bridge.

18:43 The NRA has confirmed that a section of the N6 bypassing Ballinasloe opened at 5.30pm.

The Ballinasloe bypass can be accessed at the Tulrush Interchange at the East of Ballinasloe and the West Ballinasloe junction.

It is expected that the bypass of Craughwell will be open at about 9.00pm. The bypass of Craughwell can be accessed at the Coolagh Roundabout at Galway City and the Carrowkeel Junction North of Loughrea.

The Link Road from Carrowkeel to Loughrea will also be open, connecting to the Loughrea Bypass. Intermediate junctions will not be open.

Motorists are asked to drive slowly and with extreme care.

17:57 Taoiseach says providing shelter for those displaced, as well as clean drinking water, were priorities.

Tankers will have to deliver drinking water to Cork, there is only one and a half days worth of uncontaminated drinking water in reservoirs.

17:54 5,300 Eircom customers nationwide remain without Service.

N6 bypassing Ballinasloe opened at 5.30pm.

17:42 Power has been restored to ESB customers in Cork and Bandon. Power is still switched out for customers in east Galway

17:25 Offaly County Council says there are no major disruptions to traffic due to flooding in the county. No major roads have been closed. A small number of minor roads are experiencing problems due to localised flooding.

17:24 Westmeath County Council is reporting that there are no major problems with flooding in the county, a couple of minor roads are having problems due to localised flooding.

17:13 The ESB has had to switch out networks for safety reasons in a number of areas in Cork, Bandon and east Galway.

17:12 The village of Athleague in Co Roscommon has been sealed off due to water levels rising.

17:11 Galway County Council says that the N17 is impassable at Claregalway for cars. Diversions at Loughgeorge will link them with the N84 Galway Headford Road.

17:10 Roscommon County Council says levels are rising on more roads and there could be more road closures later this evening.

17:07 Leighlinbridge in Co Carlow remains badly flooded this evening but the situation has improved from earlier.

17:03 The quay in Enniscorthy in Co Wexford Northbound and Southbound is still closed to traffic. It may re-open in the next hour as water levels recede.

16:32 Gardaí say Carlow town is still badly flooded this evening, with water levels reaching up to five feet in some areas.

Centaur Street, Castle Hill and Kennedy Street are closed to traffic. Many businesses have been affected by the floods.

Motorists are being advised to use the link road around Carlow, and that diversions are in place.

16:27 Carrick-on-Shannon and Leitrim Village are currently the worst hit areas in Leitrim. Leitrim Village is now closed to through-traffic.

16:26 Ballymote to Templehouse Road is impassable. Diversions via the R293 to the N17 Clarke's Bridge and the R296 Ballymote to Tubbercurry road are in place.

16:18 Quay in Thomastown in Co Kilkenny remains closed this afternoon as is Marshes Street.

16:14 Cork city flood alert in low lying areas between 7am and 9am tomorrow. Cork City Council advises that steps should be taken to protect property.

16:05 Main road between Lismore and Cappoquin in Co Waterford the N72 is likely to stay closed over the weekend as the water levels in the River Blackwater rise.

16:04 The Ballyduff to Fermoy road is closed.

16:00 Iarnród Éireann has advised customers that train services between Galway and Dublin have resumed. All Bus Éireann services remain cancelled until further notice.

15:57 It is also hoped to open a 5km section of the M6, bypassing Ballinasloe.

15:46 Galway County Council has confirmed that 26km of the M6 Dublin-Galway Road (under construction) will open temporarily later today, to bypass the flooding at Ballinasloe, Loughrea and Craughwell.

Single lane traffic will be in operation and a strict speed limit of 50km/h will apply.

15:31 Gardaí say there are huge traffic delays for traffic leaving Gort for Galway.

Tailbacks prior to flooding at Lebane.

15:23 Iarnród Éireann says there are bus transfers in operation between Carrick-on-Shannon and Longford on Sligo-Dublin line.

These bus transfers have been in place since Wednesday morning, and water levels remain high in the area.

15.09 Many areas of Cork City are without water because of disruptions to supply due to the massive flooding.

The city's treatment plant at the Lee road is damaged and cannot treat water.

Council crews are on standby to assess and repair if possible.

15:00 The ESB press office has said all power has now been restored to Athlone town.

14.45 Mercy Hospital in Cork has confirmed that it had to close its A&E unit this morning. It said a quay wall collapsed causing serious damage to the hospital.

'Patients and staff in the Mercy Hospital had to be moved to more secure parts of the building as damage control strategies are being put into place,' read the statement.

14.40 All of the northside and central area of the southside of Cork city are currently without water and will be for a number of days. Cork City Council has said it will provide the public with regular updates. It says the current supply of water is safe.

14.25 Despite the rumours you may have heard, the new N6/Ballinasloe Bypass is NOT open to traffic. It is still under construction.

The N6 Galway-Dublin Road remains closed at Ballinasloe & Craughwell. Traffic is diverted at Loughrea via the N66 and at Ooranmore via the N18 to Gort.

However, there is a stop/go system on the N18 Galway-Limerick Roadd at Labane and flooding on Crowe Street in Gort, with diversions in place.

13.35 Cork County Council has issued a boil water notice for Inishannon, Ballineen, Inchigeela and Clondrohid due to concern over flooding.

13.20 A power outage is affecting some areas of Athlone town. Businesses in the town have said they are working on half power.

12.59 In Clonmel, all bridges are blocked with the sole exception of the Ferryhouse Bridge which is two miles outside the town.

12.44 A number of businesses on the Golf Links Road in Roscommon town have closed due to flooding.

12.35 Flooding in the Centaur Street, John Street, Kennedy Street areas of Carlow town, particularly by the Boat club and also by the Barrow track.

There are reports of water levels reaching up to 1.5m in these areas.

Leighlinbridge and Tinnahinch in Co Carlow are both heavily flooded and closed to traffic and closed to traffic.

12.32 Patrick Street, Grand Parade, Washington Street and South Mall in Cork city have been re-opened.

The River Lee's banks are still breached and the road from Western Road out to Ballincollig is impassable.

There is no access on the route from Blarney to Ballincollig, so motorists are advised to take the Jack Lynch tunnel instead.

12.23 An estimated 200 homes and businesses in Ballinasloe are flooded. The Army is evacuating people using flat bottomed boats.

12.15 The Galway to Tuam Road (N17) is impassable at Two Mile Ditch and diversions are in place.

The N18 Galway to Limerick Road is impassable at Crowe Street, Gort and there is serious flooding Labane.

The N63 Galway to Roscommon Road is seriously flooded at Abbeyknockmoy between Newtown Bridge and Ballyglunin Bridge the road is passable with extreme caution but avoid if possible.

The Loughrea to Athenry road (R349) is impassable and the Galway to Monivea Arod is impassable at a number of locations between Carnmore Cross and Monivea.

The N84 Galway to Headford Road is passable but seriously flooded between Corrandulla Cross and Clonboo.

12.12 Lectures at University College Cork will be postponed from Monday 23 November until 30 November 23rd 2009 due to flood damage in a number of key buildings.

12.06 The Army has said 110 soldiers, 15 off-road trucks and four flat bottomed boats are operating in Cork city, Bantry, Clonakilty, Ennis, Clonmel and Ballinasloe, to assist in flood operations.

11.51 Ballinasloe is impassable both from the Dublin side and the Galway side.

11.44 40 households in the Watery Road and Elm Park areas of Ennis, on the Galway side of the town have been evacuated.

There is significant flooding in the grounds of St Flannan's College.

The bridge at Bank Place has been closed because of exceptionally high river levels.

11.39 The Lake Hotel in Killarney is being evacuated after the level of Lough Leane rose four feet overnight.

11.32 An Post says the floods have disrupted mail deliveries in some areas, particularly the West and South of the country and areas of West Cork.

11.24 The road between Lismore and Cappoquin, Co Waterford - the N72 - is closed to traffic just outside Lismore because of bad flooding in the area.

11.14 The quay in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny has been closed to traffic due to flooding.

The main road entering the village of Inistioge from the New Ross direction is closed to traffic as the River Nore has burst its banks.

11.13 Engineers are currently driving the route of the new M6 motorway to access how it can be opened.

If it is opened it will be under strict conditions - limited to one lane, a speed limit of 50km per hour and extra gardaí will be on the route.

11.04 Arrangements have been made to tanker emergency drinking water supplies to the following locations across Cork city:

Ballyvolane Shopping Centre
Blackpool Shopping Centre
Hollyhill Shopping Centre
St Mary's Orthopedic Hospital, Bakers Road, Gurranabraher
Nemo Rangers GAA, South Douglas Road.

Supplies will be available at these locations later this afternoon and this manned service will be available till 8pm tonight and again in the coming days.

11.03 Ballinasloe Town Council says the N6 main Dublin to Galway road remains closed at River St on the Athlone side of the town.

A spokesperson for the NRA said plans are in place to open a stretch of the new motorway on the Shannonbridge road side and at Mackney on the Galway side of the town.

11.03 There is Boil Water Notice in place for the Ballinasloe Regional Water Supply Scheme which serves the following areas: Ballinasloe Town, Laurencetown, Eyrecourt.

The following Group Water Schemes are also fed from the supply: Mackney, Mellick, Cloonlahan/Claremadden, Moher, Perssepark, Kylemore, Laurencetown, Kiltormer, Clontuskert.

11.02 Iarnród Éireann has said there is no train service running between Athlone and Athenry as the track is flooded. There are no bus transfers in place due to road closures.

11.00 A bridge in Enniscorthy remains closed due to flooding in the town. The quay is also closed and traffic is moving through diverted routes.

10.58 The HSE's Bindon Street clinic in Ennis has been cut off by flood waters, and all appointments have been cancelled.

Services at Museum House have also been cancelled. The HSE has also advised of long delays at the Swine flu vaccination clinic at Tobartaoscain.

10.56 The main Tramore road in Waterford by Superquinn is closed to traffic due to severe flooding. The old Tramore road is open to traffic

10.44 Gardaí in Clonmel are warning motorists to stay clear of the town centre because of severe flooding.

Several houses in the new quay and the old Bridge area have been flooded and a number of businesses have been affected also.

10.15 Severe flooding reported in parts of Longford town.

The Strokestown road and Athlone road are both been closed off due to severe flooding, both roads are impassable.

Residents are being evacuated from the Willow Park area of Longford town.

09.55 Iarnród Éireann says cancellations and delays are still affecting routes between Dublin and Galway, Dublin and Cork, Limerick and Ennis and Dublin and Sligo.

09.51 Access into and out of Cork city centre is via Patrick St, but this may close shortly. The River Lee has burst its banks.

The Blackwater River has burst its banks in Fermoy; the Fermoy Bridge is impassable, as are all the Quays.

In Clonmel, the Quays and a number of other roads are closed. The only bridge open is Thomas Bridge.

The Bus Éireann Dublin to Galway service at 11am will terminate in Loughrea. There are no services between Galway and Eyrecourt. City services are operating, but with delays. Athlone to Galway services are suspended.

09.49 The N6 main road between Dublin and Galway remains impassable at Craughwell, Co Galway.

09.36 Cork County Hall is closed due to flooding. The official opening of the County Library, due to take place today has been cancelled. All access roads to Cork County Hall are blocked off.

08.42 Gardaí are advising that the only way to get from Dublin to Galway is to take the Gort road out of Loughrea, and to go to Galway via Oranmore.

Crow St in Gort is closed, but a diversion is in place and motorists will get through eventually.