Snowstorms shut down Ireland, Britain calls in army for hospitals

DUBLIN/EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Snowstorms shut most of Ireland on Friday and forced Britain to call in the army to help battle some of the worst weather seen for nearly 30 years.After a blast of Siberian cold dubbed "the beast from the east", southern Britain and Ireland were battered by Storm Emma that arrived from the south and blocked roads, grounded planes and stopped trains.Overnight blizzards left snow drifts up to three feet (90 cm) deep across Ireland and Scotland.