Tag Archives: flooding

WHILE flooding has been reported to have receded somewhat in parts of North and West Clare this Saturday morning, severe overnight flooding was reported in Miltown Malbay, Liscannor, Mullagh, Quilty and Lisdeen near Kilkee. Many other roads, while passable, were in a dangerous condition, including the Kilrush – Kildysart road, R473. Fire service units from Ennistymon were called to a severe incident of flooding in Miltown Malbay, on the Lahinch Road and Church Road, where up to 20 houses were affected. Nearby manhole covers had burst due to the incessant rainfall. Meanwhile two people were helped to safety from a car on the road between Liscannor village and the Cliffs on Moher on Friday night. Ennistymon fire service also attended that incident when the car became stranded as the road flooded. Fire service units also attended a flooding incident in Mullagh, while several instances of cars being caught in floods, throughout West Clare, have emerged. An Orange rainfall alert had …

Clare County Council has admitted that current sea defences in Quilty, Spanish Point and the White Strand Beach in Miltown Malbay are not sufficient to deal with a repeat of the adverse flooding in early 2014. At this week’s West Clare District meeting, Councillor Michael Hillery asked that the council “would present a progress report on the coastal protection works” at the the three locations. “The existing sea defences at all three areas are inadequate to withstand a similar storm to that of January 2014 again. To that end, funding is approved for by the Office of Public Works (OPW) for a single coastal erosion and flood risk management study for the section of coast from Quilty to Milltown Malbay, with particular focus on each of the three locations – Quilty, Spanish Point and Whitestrand,” council engineer Stephen Lahiffe explained in a written reply. “The scope of the consultant’s study must accord with the OPW’s guidance for such studies. Standard …

THE Minister of State with Special Responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) has told The Clare Champion that separate minor work applications for farmers affected by flooding on the Fergus embankments and in Doonbeg will be dealt with, as quickly as possible, by his office. The maximum figure possible under each scheme is €500,000. Deputy Simon Harris was speaking during a visit to Clare on Tuesday, when he met with a farming delegation in Kildysart and visited some of the land affected by serious flooding in 2014. “I think they appreciate the frankness and the straight-forwardness of the procedure I have outlined to them. When I came to office and was made aware of these problems, the first thing I did was to bring all the people around the table together. Deputy Pat Breen has been on my case about this for quite a period of time,” he explained. “On March 10, I brought the IFA Clare chairman, …

A Ballynacally farmer has expressed his frustration at the lack of progress in repairing the Shannon Estuary banks along 30 acres of his land in Lisheen. Vincent O’Shea, who farms up to 120 acres, has been unable to cut silage on the affected land and has had to sell 30 cows. The land was badly flooded more than 12 months ago and he says that no progress has been made in the interim with regard to alleviating the problem. Two neighbouring farmers, John Slattery and Seán Carrig, are similarly affected. “The two sluices went in January of 2014. There is no one coming near us. They are saying they are doing this and doing that. Pat Breen (TD) reckons the council have the money but you ring the council and they say they have no more there for this. They have money for the tourists going to Lahinch and Kilkee but that’s no good to me. I can’t do any …

Clare County Council has upgraded from Yellow to Orange its rainfall warning for County Clare. The council said the “Yellow” weather alert previously issued by Met Eireann has been upgraded to “Orange” since this afternoon meaning that between 40 and 60mm of rainfall is likely in County Clare over the 22 hour period until midday tomorrow, Friday, November 14. As a result, it is anticipated that there will be significant localised flooding in places. People who have experienced flooding in the past are advised to take appropriate precautions.

When Agriculture Minister, Simon Coveney visited Liscannor on Sunday to participate in the John P Holland commemorations, he took time out to reassure Clare farmers that the Government is striving to help those who need it. His comment comes and pressure grows on State agencies and Clare County Council to redouble their efforts to assist farmers whose lands were hit by flooding in January and February. Many farmers are living in fear that there will be a repeat of the serious flooding unlesss repairs and restoration works are addressed immediately. Minister Coveney was given a tour of the worst affected arears when he visited Clare shortly after ther storms had abated. Clare IFA Rural Development chairman, Seamus Murphy said they want the county council and the relevant government agencies to ensure the engineer’s report they had commisioned document is acted on before the bad weather returns.

A frustrated resident of Flannan’s Terrace, which is close to the Limerick Road cross in Ennis, is threatening to take legal action against Clare County Council over flooding to his garage, which has been ongoing for several years. Jimmy Quinn says the council’s own estimate suggests that broken underground pipes are resulting in the leaking of 5,000 to 6,000 gallons of water daily. He believes the problem emanates from the fact that four nearby rented houses are not connected to the more recently developed water services on the road. “I’ve been on to councillors and officials but nothing has happened. At this stage, I have to go legal about it. A council employee said that they were losing 5,000 to 6,000 gallons of water per day,” Mr Quinn told The Clare Champion on Wednesday. Mr Quinn says the leaks have resulted in it being impossible for him to avail of his garage. He says Clare County Council did initially look …

  By Owen Ryan TRAIN services between Ennis and Limerick are likely to resume on Tuesday as flood water has receded, while all the residents of Ballycar are now able to drive back to their homes. Iarnród Éireann spokesperson Barry Kenny said that divers had inspected the floods at Ballycar this week. There are plans to run a test train through the area on next Monday and all going well normal services will resume on Tuesday. “We’re no longer an island!” said Ballycar resident Hilary Gough, who is relieved that the entrance to her home is no longer flooded. She said that while her own house was isolated for exactly 13 weeks the problem has abated, but she wants Clare County Council to make sure the problem doesn’t recur the next time there is sustained heavy rain. “I’m absolutely determined that this should not happen again. There have been reports that there will be round table talks with the OPW …