A team of around 70 Irish energy sector workers has spent the past fortnight helping restore electricity to storm-damaged communities across central Portugal, where some residents have lived without power for more than three weeks.
Their arrival in remote villages has prompted emotional scenes, so much so that one technician said it felt “like an American soldier arriving in liberated France”.
The workers belong to Ireland’s state electricity company ESB Group and partner contractors, who volunteered to travel abroad to assist repairs following severe storm damage, technician Cormac Kerry told journalists from the Lusa news agency.
The crews travelled by ferry to Cherbourg or Bilbao before driving to Fátima, where they were based for two weeks while working across rural areas of Leiria.
“It took two or three days to get here and it’ll take another three to go back, a week travelling and two weeks working,” Mr. Kerry said during a brief pause in the field, helmet in hand.
Each day begins with an early safety briefing and ends at dusk. “Sometimes we stay on a bit into darkness just to finish the job,” he said, adding that each crew typically restores electricity to two villages per day.
Mr. Kerry, who has worked in previous disaster responses, said the scale of damage was unlike anything he had experienced, but what struck him most was the reaction of residents.
“People are incredibly patient. I’ve never seen people without electricity for three weeks who are still so calm,” he said. Despite working in poorer rural communities, crews were repeatedly welcomed with food and drink. “There’s always coffee, biscuits, bread, even port wine. They’re very generous, and many get emotional when they see us.”
Fellow technician Tom Cavanagh described the work as deeply rewarding. “When the lights come back on, people are overwhelmed. The other day a woman was crying while hugging all of us,” he said.
At times, he added, the reception reminded him of wartime liberation scenes. “People come out to see us and say, ‘Thank God you’re here — we’re saved.’ Sometimes it really feels like that.”
Patrick Fleming, from Kildare, said villagers are visibly relieved whenever crews arrive.
“They’ve been without power for so long, we’re happy to help, and they’re happy to see us.”
Team leader Dennis Dullea said adapting to Portugal’s electrical network presented technical challenges, though local operator E-Redes had provided strong support.
He added that even after previous disaster work in France, he had never encountered such widespread destruction: “Here, it’s everywhere.”
As the deployment comes to its end, Mr. Kerry admitted mixed feelings about leaving. “We’re going home, but this will continue for a long time. There’s much more to do, we’d like to stay, but we also have work waiting in Ireland. We gave everything we could.”
Source: LUSA
