ATHLONE:The Army was drafted in to assist householders affected by flooding in Athlone, Co Westmeath, yesterday.
An estimated 50 houses were flooded on both the east and west side of Athlone town as water levels rose on the river Shannon.
The Army set up a base at the Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone. Up to 80 Army personnel worked closely with members of the local authority to sandbag parts of the town yesterday.
Union leaders agreed to exempt their members in Waterways Ireland from yesterday’s protest due to the scale of the flooding.
However, mayor of Athlone Mark Cooney (Fine Gael), said a decision by unions not to exempt members of Athlone Town Council from the protests had “affected the town”.
Mr Cooney said when workers were requested to return yesterday, “they [the union] didn’t feel there was sufficient reason”.
But Athlone’s Siptu branch organiser, John Kane, said that the council had not been in contact with him to request an exemption.
“I can only presume that yesterday they would have put in place an emergency crew” to deal with the protest, he said.
CORK
A former academic at University College Cork has questioned the wisdom of the university’s decision to locate multi-million euro facilities on low-lying areas with a history of flooding.
Prof Ged Martin, who formerly lectured in history at UCC, said that research carried out by staff at the university’s geography department and published by the university, clearly showed that the Western Road and the Mardyke areas had a long history of flooding.
“When this crisis has passed, UCC must explain why recent buildings were erected on the Lee flood plain . . . if there was no other space, why were these buildings not raised on pillars,” said Prof Martin.
UCC director of building and estates Mark Poland said that environmental impact statements had been carried out as part of the development of both the Western Gateway IT building and the Glucksman Gallery, while both buildings also met Cork City Council guidelines on ground levels. Efforts were continuing at the Glucksman to save over 180 works of art which were in the basement when water flooded the area at 10pm last Thursday.
Cork City Council last night advised that it may be next Wednesday before drinking water is safely restored to some 18,000 homes in the city.
Nine hotels and leisure centres in Cork have agreed to make shower facilities available free of charge to members of the public affected by the current water shortages. BARRY ROCHE
CO CLARE
Clare County Council yesterday closed the main bridge in the village of Sixmilebridge after the authority expressed safety concerns over the structure of the bridge and diversions were in place last night.
Issuing an appeal last night, the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, said that those who were "lucky enough" to be unaffected by the floods should "meet the Christian challenge coming up to Christmas and offer the flood victims and others experiencing difficulties our support". GORDON DEEGAN