Power Restored to Birdhill Roastery After Week-long Blackout
Table of Contents
- 1. Power Restored to Birdhill Roastery After Week-long Blackout
- 2. Generator ensures Continuity
- 3. Storm Strikes Coffee roastery: A Tale of Resilience
- 4. The Aftermath of Storm Éowyn: A Community Needs Support
- 5. A Plea for Government Aid
- 6. Support Available Through the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme
- 7. What are some concrete steps businesses, especially small businesses, can take to enhance their resilience against disruptions caused by natural disasters?
- 8. Storm Strikes Birdhill Roastery: A Tale of Resilience
- 9. Navigating the Darkness
- 10. The Ripple Effects
- 11. Beyond the Roastery
- 12. recovery and Resilience
After a harrowing week without electricity, the beloved coffee roastery, The Old Barracks, in Birdhill finally saw the lights flicker back on this past Friday, January 31st.
“We got it back this morning (January 31), thank God,” expressed a relieved Mr. Andrews,owner of The Old Barracks.
While surrounding towns experienced intermittent power restoration, Birdhill faced a prolonged outage, stretching far beyond the ESB’s initial estimates. “It’s been a bit of a challenge,” Mr. Andrews admitted, reflecting on the trying week.
The impact of the “historic” storm was deeply felt by The Old Barracks, which employs around 44 people.
“If we hadn’t had a generator, we wouldn’t have been able to keep running. The potential impact on businesses’ cash flow is devastating”, Mr. Andrews emphasised the gravity of the situation.
The storm’s effects extended beyond just the physical interruption of operations. Mr. Andrews highlighted the immense pressure of keeping his workforce employed, acknowledging, “With payroll, mortgages, and personal responsibilities in the mix, if we hadn’t been able to keep going, we would have lost considerable turnover.”
Generator ensures Continuity
Fortunately, thanks to the foresight of Mr. Andrews and the company’s investment in a generator after previous power disruptions, The Old Barracks was able to remain operational. This proved instrumental in continuing to serve customers in Limerick, Tipperary, and Clare.
Storm Strikes Coffee roastery: A Tale of Resilience
when a powerful storm swept through Limerick and Tipperary, it left more than just fallen trees and power outages in its wake. It also brought the Old Barracks Coffee Roastery, a beloved local spot, to the brink. The Dublin-native owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, recounted the harrowing experience, highlighting the crucial role technology and preparedness play in weathering unexpected crises.
“We bought it out of proceeds from COVID when we were busy adapting our business model,” he recalled, “but you don’t expect to have to run a business for seven days off a generator.” The storm, though, threw a wrench into their plans, leaving them reliant on backup power for days.
The lack of electricity meant more than just inconvenience. It crippled their security systems, leaving the business vulnerable.”We had no fire monitoring, no alarm monitoring, and our insurance policy was invalid unless we kept the generator running overnight. that meant making emergency fuel runs at two in the morning to keep it running,” he said, painting a vivid picture of the tireless efforts required to keep things operational.
The repercussions extended beyond security concerns. The internet outage, a ripple affect of the storm’s devastation, crippled their payment processing system. this financial blow was felt acutely across their multiple locations in Limerick and Tipperary.
“We had a lot of transactions that never processed,” the owner shared, his voice laced with frustration. “People tapped their cards, but without real-time authorisation, some payments never went through. We lost a few hundred in those first few days.”
“People just assume things like WiFi, power, and card payments will work, but when they don’t, you realize how dependent we are on these systems,” he emphasized, underscoring a crucial lesson learned from this experience.
Despite the adversity, Old Barracks Coffee Roastery emerged stronger, fully operational once again.A St Brigid’s weekend sale, a testament to their resilience, is eagerly anticipated. “If we had no power, we wouldn’t have been able to roast in time,” he said, highlighting the critical role their equipment played in meeting customer demand. The ordeal, while challenging, has undoubtedly cemented their commitment to preparedness and innovation, ensuring they’re better equipped to handle future storms, both literal and metaphorical.
The Aftermath of Storm Éowyn: A Community Needs Support
The recent onslaught of Storm Éowyn left a trail of destruction across the Mid-West, impacting both residents and businesses alike.Many recounted their experiences, with one stating, “We’re lucky. But I can’t imagine what it was like for those without a generator.” Storms, power outages, and the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have placed a heavy burden on local communities, pushing them to their limits.
A Plea for Government Aid
Responding to the widespread damage, Limerick mayor John Moran, along with local councillors Michael Ryan and Liam galvin, made a compelling call to action. They urged the government to provide “immediate” financial assistance to homeowners and businesses grappling with the consequences of the storm.
This aid is desperately needed to help individuals and businesses recover from property damage, replace lost stock and food supplies, and address the impact of power cuts. The stark reality is that many are struggling to cope with the financial fallout of this natural disaster, and swift government intervention is crucial to alleviate their burdens.
Support Available Through the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme
In response to the crisis, the Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary, offered reassurance that the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is now available to provide crucial support. This scheme is designed to assist those living in properties directly affected by Storm Éowyn.
For individuals and families seeking to understand their eligibility for assistance, the amount of aid available, and the application process, detailed facts can be found on the government’s website: gov.ie
What are some concrete steps businesses, especially small businesses, can take to enhance their resilience against disruptions caused by natural disasters?
Storm Strikes Birdhill Roastery: A Tale of Resilience
After a week of darkness, the beloved coffee roastery, The Old Barracks, in Birdhill finally saw the lights flicker back on this past Friday, January 31st.When a powerful storm swept thru Limerick and tipperary, it left more than just fallen trees and power outages in its wake. It also brought the Old barracks Coffee Roastery, a beloved local spot, to the brink.
Mr. Finnigan, owner of the roastery, spoke to Archyde about the harrowing experiance. “We bought our generator out of proceeds from COVID when we were busy adapting our business model,” he recalled, “but you don’t expect to have to run a business for seven days off a generator.”
The storm, though, threw a wrench into their plans, leaving them reliant on backup power for days. This lack of electricity meant more than just inconvenience. It crippled their security systems, leaving the business vulnerable. “We had no fire monitoring,no alarm monitoring,and our insurance policy was invalid unless we kept the generator running overnight. That meant making emergency fuel runs at two in the morning to keep it running,” he said, painting a vivid picture of the tireless efforts required to keep things operational.
The Ripple Effects
The repercussions extended beyond security concerns.The internet outage, a ripple effect of the storm’s devastation, crippled their payment processing system. This financial blow was felt acutely across their multiple locations in Limerick and Tipperary.
“We had a lot of transactions that never processed,” Mr.Finnigan shared, his voice laced with frustration. “People tapped their cards,but without real-time authorisation,some payments never went through. We lost a few hundred in those first few days.”
“People just assume things like WiFi, power, and card payments will work, but when they don’t, you realize how dependent we are on these systems,” he emphasized, underscoring a crucial lesson learned from this experience.
Beyond the Roastery
Mr.Finnigan expressed concern for other businesses, especially smaller ones. “I heard stories of people selling perishable goods out of their back doors just to break even. It’s a tough situation out there,” he commented.
He added, “It makes you think about how prepared we are as a community for things like this. maybe it’s time to think about investing in more robust backup systems, just in case.”
recovery and Resilience
Despite the adversity, Old Barracks Coffee Roastery emerged stronger, fully operational once again. A St. Brigid’s weekend sale is eagerly anticipated. “If we had no power, we wouldn’t have been able to roast in time,” he said, highlighting the critical role their equipment played in meeting customer demand.The ordeal, while challenging, has undoubtedly cemented their commitment to preparedness and innovation, ensuring they’re better equipped to handle future storms, both literal and metaphorical.
What steps do you think businesses and individuals can take to better prepare for similar situations?
