*Kilrush.
DEVELOPMENT of a redundant fibre route into Kilrush and West Clare has been requested from eir in the aftermath of a major broadband outage which left over 4,400 homes and businesses in West Clare without internet.
Homes and businesses in West Clare were without internet following a road traffic collision between Lissycasey and Kilrush. Shortly before 4pm on Thursday, the single vehicle collision occurred which led to the outage.
An estimated 4,448 homes and businesses were without access to internet with crews restoring power by Friday afternoon. Areas impacted include Cooraclare, Doonaha, Doonbeg, Kilkee, Kilmihil, Kilrush, Knock, Labasheeda and Rahey Cross.
CEO of eir, Oliver Loomes has been sent an open letter from the “businesses and individuals of West Clare” drafted by Kilrush based IT company Borrow A Geek. The correspondence details the “serious concern regarding the vulnerability of broadband infrastructure serving our communities. The recent and repeated outages caused by vehicular damage along the Ennis Road have exposed a critical issue: a complete lack of network redundancy for fibre services in and out of Kilrush. This is no longer sustainable for a modern rural economy.
“Kilrush serves as the commercial, administrative, and social hub for West Clare. From financial institutions and pharmacies to retail businesses, remote workers, and public services, nearly every aspect of daily life now depends on reliable internet access. Yet, a single fibre cut can disconnect thousands of people across multiple towns and villages, bringing business and communication to a standstill and causing untold economic and social disruption. We are deeply disappointed that eir Ireland has not yet provided diverse and resilient fibre routes into Kilrush and West Clare. In a region already working hard to overcome rural disadvantage and attract investment, this kind of infrastructure failure sends a message that rural communities are not being treated with the same priority as urban centres,” the open letter added.
Eir have been urged to prioritise the development of a redundant fibre route into Kilrush from an alternative direction. “This is not just a technical improvement; it is a necessary investment in equity, economic resilience, and the future of rural Ireland”.
“Our businesses rely on digital services to operate, grow, and employ. Families rely on connectivity for education, telehealth, and basic communication. Without network redundancy, every small incident becomes a crisis—for local economies, for families, and for essential services”.
The open letter concluded, “Rural Ireland deserves better. West Clare demands better. And with your leadership, we believe eir Ireland can deliver the connectivity we need to thrive”.
Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District, Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) has formally written to eir expressing serious concern over the outage. She highlighted the deeply negative effect the outage is having on local businesses, schools, public services, and residents who rely on stable broadband access for work, education, healthcare and daily communication.
“This is not just an inconvenience – it is a significant barrier to community life, local enterprise and economic resilience. This incident underscores a wider concern around the vulnerability of our rural digital infrastructure, and I am calling on eir to respond urgently,” she stated.
Eir have been requested to give a formal public statement addressing three key points, immediate response, impact assessment and future-proofing measures. The Doonbeg woman has asked for a timely and transparent response from eir. “Our communities cannot be left behind in the digital age. I will continue to advocate for better infrastructure and greater accountability from service providers on behalf of the people of West Clare”.
