A bull scratching itself was one of dozens of cases involving cattle and horses using ESB infrastructure to ease their itch, according to an internal log of incidents from November 2024 to October 2025. Photograph: GettySwans flying into overhead wires and bulls using electricity poles as scratching posts are among the more unusual causes of power cuts that have occurred around Ireland. It was one of dozens of cases involving cattle and horses using ESB infrastructure to ease their itch, according to an internal log of incidents from November 2024 to October 2025. Other animals implicated in power outages included squirrels, mice and rats, as well as one disconnection to remove a bee nest. Birds caused “a lot of damage” during one incident in Cratloe in Limerick, according to the log from ESB Networks.

Source: The Irish Times February 03, 2026 17:54 UTC