LOOKING BACK: It's 3 years since the "Big Snow" of Storm Emma in 2018

When Storm Emma / the Beast from the East hit Co Kildare in early March, several Kildare communities were cut off for days, with many roads blocked by massive snow drifts.

Kildare County Council and local farmers and contractors worked around the clock to get routes reopened, with many accessible by just one lane for a day or two.

Banks of snow on a road in Maddenstown on the Curragh 

Naas, Caragh, Kilteel, Kill, Rathangan and North Kildare were among the worst affected areas.

Sallins Harbour frozen over 

The Naas area was hit with 44 centimetres of snow falling between Tuesday night, February 27, and Sunday, March 4.

Farmers and building contractors lent a hand as they joined in the road clearance operation.

The Fire Service, Ambulance Service, Civil Defence, Red Cross volunteers and the Defence Forces all swung into action.

Nurses at Naas Hospital stayed over with friends and at guesthouses in Naas so they could get to work during Storm Emma.

A Kilmeague woman, who went into labour in the midst of the storm, needed gardaí and paramedics to get her to hospital on time.

Sinead Carroll and her partner James Coyne, from Kildare town, eventually welcomed beautiful baby girl Éala Belle in the Coombe on Friday, March 2.

Sinead went into labour at 9.15pm on Thursday night (March 1) but an ambulance couldn't get out to her home.

Then local gardaí stepped in with a 4x4 vehicle to help get Sinead to hospital. 

Deborah Roche from Milltown went into labour at her mother in law's home in Naas 4am on March 2.

He had to be brought to Naas Hospital in a fire truck towed by a tractor, and then transported by an army vehicle to the Coombe Hospital.

Baby Wyatt was born 35 minutes after they arrived, weighing 6lb and 14 oz.