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Wedding guests attending a celebration on an island in Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, found themselves stranded after a ferry began taking on water during Storm Boelo. The weekend storm generated winds reaching nearly 80mph (129km/h) across parts of Northern Ireland, resulting in widespread flight and ferry cancellations.
Impact on Infrastructure and Power
Northern Ireland Electricity Networks reported that approximately 12,500 households lost electricity because of the storm, though power has since been restored to all affected homes. On Sunday, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) noted that about 470 storm-related incidents were logged, including flooded areas and fallen trees. Translink, the public transport provider, diverted several bus services because of debris and implemented rail restrictions in impacted regions. The Foyle Bridge in Londonderry closed on Saturday due to strong winds before reopening on Sunday evening.
SDLP assembly member Mark H Durkan acknowledged the necessity of closing the bridge during the gale but pointed out that the extended closure generated severe traffic congestion in the city. In an interview with BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today, Durkan explained that routing vehicles to the lower deck of the Craigavon Bridge created a major traffic backup, highlighting the city’s urgent requirement for an additional bridge. “The infrastructural capacity of Derry needs increasing,” said Durkan, adding, “I don’t think two vehicular bridges for a city of this size and a population of this city is enough.”
Weather Warnings and Flight Cancellations
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for coastal areas in counties Antrim and Down, effective from 18:00 GMT on Monday until 03:00 on Tuesday, anticipating winds of up to 65mph (105km/h). A separate yellow wind warning covering the north coast of counties Antrim and Londonderry will run from 03:00 GMT until 21:00 on Tuesday, with predicted gusts reaching 60mph (97km/h). Over the weekend, airports throughout the island of Ireland cancelled flights, including about 40 at Belfast International Airport and approximately 30 at Dublin Airport.
Life on Lusty Beg Island
Wedding guest Shéa Clarke, who was staying on Lusty Beg Island, described the severe conditions by stating, “You could see the waves were rough and the wind was going.”
“Obviously it’s too dangerous to cross and the boat can’t cross so safety comes first,” he added.
Clarke mentioned that despite the weather, the guests maintained a positive atmosphere. “Some people have slept in cars, some people have slept on sofas there’s been eight people in one room sleeping on the floor,” he said, adding that “the spirit has been good the craic is 90… as long as we don’t run out of Guinness or chips.”
Another wedding guest, Olivia Millar, an airline cabin crew employee based in London who originally scheduled a flight to South Africa for Monday night, shared her experience: “It hasn’t felt like real life but everyone’s been amazing and we’ve just made the most of it.”
Michael Cadden, managing director at Lusty Beg Island Resort and Spa, characterized the storm’s intensity as “unlike anything we’ve experienced on the island before.” He stated, “This was a crisis but we’ve now arranged to transport and are getting all our staff and customers safely home.”
Kacper Dymarczyk, a bartender who remained locked down with the wedding attendees, worked through the storm and confirmed there was “no concern” regarding food and beverage shortages because the hotel remained “well stocked at all times.”
A replacement boat has since been deployed to transport the remaining guests off the island.
