It may not have been Times Square, but business in the financial hub of Cork was brought to a standstill yesterday when an electrical fault left some of the city centre without power.
Banks, estate agents and other businesses along the golden stretch of the South Mall were affected by the power-cut, which hit the city at approximately 12.30 p.m.
Banking transactions were put on hold for up to an hour as computers and other equipment shut down, until the emergency power systems kicked in.
RTÉ Cork, which has its studios in nearby Fr Mathew Street, was also affected by the cut.
The timing of the power-cut meant that Radio 1 presenter John Creedon's midday show was knocked off air. Back-up presenters in Dublin were deployed to fill the gap.
Electricity was restored to most businesses in the area by 1.30 p.m., after engineers worked to rectify the power fault at an ESB sub-station. According to the ESB, the cable may have been damaged by construction work in the city.
A spokesman for the company appealed to contractors in Cork to remain vigilant when using equipment near cables.
"Our initial investigation into the fault indicates it is recent damage caused by excavation work. We would appeal to contractors using digging equipment to exercise caution in the vicinity of underground power cables. While it doesn't look like the cable suffered a direct hit today, it looks to have been damaged recently," Mr Kevin McDermott said yesterday.