Locals in Clogga, which is a townland east of Sixmilebridge, are continuously losing electricity due to the pesky peckers
15:16, 11 Feb 2026Updated 15:25, 11 Feb 2026
Greater Spotted Woodpecker. (file image) (Image: Getty Images)
The ESB is being forced to replace wooden electricity poles in a small Clare village because woodpeckers keep causing power outages.
Locals in Clogga, which is a townland east of Sixmilebridge, are continuously losing electricity due to the pesky peckers.
Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney revealed there were eight outages in 2025 – two lasting multiple days, while there were three last month alone.
He said they have also been flying into the cables and causing transformers to loosen at the top of the poles.
The Clare TD stressed the issue was a “serious concern” and added that when he was initially told about it, he thought it was a “joke”.
Woodpeckers use their strong, chisel-like beaks to forage for insects under bark, excavate tree cavities for nesting, and “drum” on hollow trees to mark their territory while also attracting mates.
In response to questions from the Irish Mirror, the ESB said its crews were now installing “composite poles” to prevent further damage and unplanned outages.
They also said they acknowledged “the continuity issues” and apologised for “the disruption caused.”
In a statement, a spokeswoman said: “ESB Networks acknowledges the continuity issues experienced by some customers in County Clare in recent months and apologises for the disruption caused.
“We can confirm that a significant upgrade of this section of the local network is currently underway.”
They added: “The outages have been linked to damage of electricity poles caused by woodpecker activity.
“Our crews are installing composite poles in place of the existing wooden structures, which are not susceptible to this type of activity and will strengthen the resilience of the network locally.”
The ESB, however, stressed that, to facilitate the new structures, more outages were planned.
They added: “Further planned outages will be required to safely complete these works. Customers will receive advance notice of any interruptions, and outages are being carefully scheduled and staggered to minimise disruption as much as possible.
“We apologise for the inconvenience and thank customers in Clare for their patience and cooperation. These works will deliver improved reliability and continuity of supply for the area into the future.”
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