Towards the back end of last year I popped into the farmer-owned mart in Sixmilebridge – always a lively spot during the Saturday morning sales.

As I was in the area, I called into an old friend who lived nearby to grab a cup of tea and put the world the rights. When I got there, the tea pot was sitting warming on top of the range and the radio sitting on the counter was silent.

“Power’s out again. Must be the 10th time this year.”

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“Shocking,” I replied, with the barest hint of a smile.

Power poles

I found out this week the source of my friend’s intermittent power – woodpeckers have apparently spread to Co Clare and are causing havoc with power poles.

ESB Networks said it is replacing the wooden poles with composite poles to prevent future damage.

With spring just around the corner, I hope they work fast, or my friend will be drinking a lot more range-tea in silence over the coming months.