Sights and sounds from day 1 of the Beast from the East
It was a busy day for people across the country as they contended with the arrival of the Beast from the East, not least for TD and Minister for the Office of Public Works Kevin Boxer Moran.
He took a hands-on approach to the storm relief by assisting drivers in Athlone earlier in the day.
Minister @kevinboxermoran is warning people in Athlone to get home and stay home as snow conditions deteriorate around the town @TodayFMNews @NewstalkFM #TheBeastFromTheEast ireland pic.twitter.com/YjwhSk9GBQ
— Gail Conway (@gailconwaymedia) February 28, 2018
Naturally, some people took full advantage of the snow day by wrapping up and heading outside to practice their sledding skills, build snowmen and throw the odd snowball or two.
Other brave swimmers embraced the sub-zero temperatures and took the plunge at the Forty Foot at Sandycove, County Dublin.
The animals of Ireland also seemed to to not feel the cold, such as these puppies in Portlaoise.
And this Irish ostrich, not an often-seen resident of Meath, who was taking it all in his stride.
Things you don’t expect to see in the snow... the lesser-spotted Irish ostrich in Co. Meath #stormemma #beastfromtheeast pic.twitter.com/B4Mku3BlK3
— Irish Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) February 28, 2018
The freezing conditions had us dreaming of sunnier climes, such as Kerry where there were no signs of snow. These striking images of Waterville, County Kerry were sent in by Avril Burns:
Unlike the bread on supermarket shelves, there was no shortage of scenic shots taken by readers and across social media today, with people capturing the natural beauty of Ireland under the blanket of snow.
Commuters faced some difficult journeys this morning, and this footage of heavy snow west of Cork City captured by our photographer, Denise Minihane, shows what's in store over the coming days.
There were breathtaking scenes at Inch Island this morning, as Storm Emma loomed over Lough Swilly and Buncrana. This was taken by Behind the Glass Photography, Donegal.
While walking conditions were hardly ideal, the Lough in Cork City was a popular spot for budding photographers.
Meanwhile, others chose to stay in the heat. How cool is this timelapse of the snowfall in Dublin overnight?
The Irish banter wasn't lost in the storm either, as it even brought out peoples' humourous sides, such as this hilarious ballad penned by Bill Maybury & Róisín Kilgannon.
As evening approached, we could see the last effects of the storm on the Irish landscape in the daylight, like these frozen waterfalls at Downhill, County Derry.
Or the canal in Kildare which froze this afternoon.
