Gardaí are on the trail of a mobile gang who have targeted a spate of houses in the south and east of the county – left empty and without alarms because of the power outages caused by Storm Éowyn.

The gang of four men had been seen in the vicinity of a number of the burglaries – near Killimor, Portumna and Loughrea – driving a black Audi A6 saloon.

The heartless thieves have targeted houses where the occupants have had to move out because of the lack of electricity or water since the storm hit.

This comes at a time when there are still approximately 5,000 homes, farms and businesses in rural Galway without electricity, as ESB crews and back-up support continue to make reconnections in the wake of the destruction caused by Storm Éowyn last month.

Fallen trees, smashed poles, access and out-of-action transformers are the main problems being faced by ESB workers who are being supported by partner contractors, international personnel and retirees.

Parts of Conamara – in a line from Moycullen to Cong and along the coastal fringe from Spiddal to Roundstone – still remain without power, with the ESB hoping to have most customers reconnected by this weekend.

Gardaí appealed for the public’s help over the robberies this week – but sources said they were closing in on the identity of the roaming gang.

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