Tag Archives: Springfield

RESIDENTS in South-East Clare have been evacuated from their homes after rising flood waters cut off access to their dwellings. Two families in Springfield, Clonlara, had to be assisted from their homes on Sunday as the road close to their homes is now impassable. At least ten houses in the Springfield area are at risk of flooding following huge volumes of rainfall in recent weeks and a prediction of between 20 and 25 millimetres of rain on Sunday night. More than 7,000 sandbags and pumping stations have been delivered to houses in the locality as part of a flood management plan being implemented by Clare County Council. Residents are facing a very difficult battle as flood waters have risen by five and a half inches over a 12-hour period from 9am on Sunday. It is estimated that flood waters were rising by half an inch on Sunday night. Speaking to the Clare Champion, resident Geraldine Quinlivan was distraught as she …

RESIDENTS in a flood-prone community in South-East Clare have pledged to focus on proposed concrete solutions when a Government minister of state visits the area next week. Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Flood Relief Sean Canney will visit Springfield, Clonlara on Monday. While Springfield resident Geraldine Quinlivan welcomed official confirmation of a visit from Minister Canney, she stressed that householders who have suffered so much flooding in recent decades need to hear details of when long-awaited solutions will be delivered on the ground. Following numerous meetings with politicians from all parties, including former Environment Minister Simon Coveney, who visited the flood-stricken area in January 2015, Ms Quinlivan told The Clare Champion that the minister is well aware of the devastation caused by flooding events in 2009 and 2015. “As one resident said to me ‘the time for talking is over, we need action’. I agreed with him totally. Engineers involved in drafting the …

Clare County Council has been requested by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to provide additional information, including photographic evidence of flooding in Springfield. The request was made in respect of the OPW’s ongoing review of the council’s request for funding approval. This development emerged in a week when the council was notified by the OPW of its decision to allocate €49,500 to undertake remediation  works on a 250m section of river embankment (Blackwater River). The council expects remediation works to commence during November. Weather permitting, it is hoped the works will be completed by the end of the year. The council has completed a procurement process and has identified a consultant who would carry out a focused feasibility study with a view to identifying a sustainable solution to the historic flooding issues at Springfield, Clonlara. As of June last, the council has been seeking funding approval from the OPW to appoint a consultant. It envisages that any flood prevention works approved ancillary …

THE new Government has been urged to put in place an accessible compensation package to enable residents in South-East Clare restore their flood-hit properties. A local Sinn Féin activist has also called on the new administration to ensure that insurance companies will not be allowed to abdicate their responsibilities by compensating householders who have the necessary policy in place and should continue to give them cover in the future. In a wide-ranging address to the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis on Saturday, Margaret O’Connor claimed several insurance companies are now refusing to cover people in entire regions because they are what has been described as “designated flood zones”, even though they have never been flooded or are never likely to be flooded. Prior to the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis, the East Clare cumann member spoke to members of the Quinlivan family in Springfield, Clonlara, who are only getting back on their feet with much work on their house still to be …

The flow of water through Parteen Weir will reduce further to 195 cubic metres per second toda (Friday). This level of water flow will continue to have associated flooding to land and property in the vicinity of the Shannon downstream of Parteen Weir including the areas of Springfield, Montpelier, Castleconnell, Mountshannon (Annacotty) and the University of Limerick. Other areas between Parteen Weir and Limerick may also be vulnerable to flooding due to local issues. ESB is continuing to monitor the situation and is liaising with the relevant local authorities.

The ESB has advised that the flow of water through Parteen Weir will remain at 230 cubic metres per second today (Wednesday) and the situation will be reviewed again tomorrow. This level of water flow will continue to have associated flooding to land and property in the vicinity of the Shannon downstream of Parteen Weir including the areas of Springfield, Montpelier, Castleconnell, Mountshannon (Annacotty) and the University of Limerick. ESB is continuing to monitor the situation and is liaising with the relevant local authorities.

Clare County Council has confirmed that a number of roads have reopened in flood-affected parts of North and Southeast Clare as water levels continue to slowly recede. All roads in Springfield, Clonlara are now passable. The N67 at New Quay has reopened but a number of local primary routes remain flooded in the North Clare area. Meanwhile, Clare County Council has received confirmation from the ESB of its decision to reduce the discharge level at Parteen Weir from 300 cumecs to 265 cumecs.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin met residents in flood-hit communities during a whistle-stop tour of South Galway and Clare on Friday. Accompanied by Clare FF Deputy Timmy Dooley, Deputy Martin stopped off in some of the areas worst affected by the recent flooding, which has left numerous residents cut off from their own homes. His tour started in South Galway where he spoke to householders in the Gort area and his itinerary included New Quay, Boston, Tubber and Springfield on the outskirts of Clonlara. According to Deputy Dooley, the Fianna Fáil leader doesn’t want to make a “political showcase” out of his visit but was anxious to show his empathy with people who have been badly hit by flooding and hear first hand their experiences. “Micheál Martin wants to inform himself on a nationwide basis about the individual situations so that FF can devise comprehensive solutions to the flooding problems, which have arisen. “Every political party needs to engage with …