As the clean up following Storm Éowyn continues, Galway County Council has appealed to members of the public to remain extremely cautious when undertaking any repairs or cleanup work.
The local authority has warned that there have been a number of fatalities and injuries across the region related to storm repairs and cleanup following damage caused by the extreme weather event.
In a public safety advisory statement, Galway County Council has urged the public to remain extremely cautious when undertaking any repairs or cleanup work following damage caused by the storm.
The statement follows a meeting of the Western Region Major Emergency Management (MEM) Inter-Agency Forum, which includes representatives from local authorities in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, along with agencies such as the HSE and An Garda Síochana.
Last week, Michael Coleman, who won an All-Ireland hurling medal with Galway, died after an accident while clearing storm damage near his home in Ballyglunin.
Speaking to RTÉ's News at One, Director of Services for Physical Infrastructure, Fire and Emergency Services with Galway County Council Uinsinn Finn said that the council are aware of a number of serious incidents across the region.
"Immediately after the storm, we did have an incident on the Aran Islands where a member of the public had to be airlifted off, that fell off one of the buildings.
"We have had the unfortunate incident in Ballyglunin, where a highly respected member of the GAA community, a community volunteer, unfortunately, has passed away and our condolences to the family and the community there. So, we wanted to re-emphasise the message again, for the public to remain vigilant and cautious in relation to any cleanup on their premises."
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While the clean up in Co Galway continues, Mr Finn urged homeowners undertaking repairs to their property to cautiously assess the level of works required.
"If it's dangerous, seek professional help. If you're hiring contractors, make sure that the contractor is properly trained and experienced," he said.
"If they're working at height or using chainsaws in particular to use caution and just shortcuts can be costly, and safety should always come first."
Mr Finn said the storm "was one of the worst, if not the most severe storm event that we will have experienced in living memory".
"We had structural damage, thousands without power, without water, without communications," he said.
The ESB Networks has also reinforced its safety message: Do not approach or attempt any work near fallen power lines.
According to ESB Networks, small pockets of customers mainly in parts of north Galway, Roscommon, and south Leitrim, remained without power overnight.
Work has continued to reconnect those customers from first light this morning.
