An Air Corps helicopter delivered fodder to marooned livestock across south Galway yesterday as thousands of acres of land remained flooded and more homes succumbed to the rising water levels.
Ten houses have been evacuated in the past 24 hours and up to 40 homes and farms are cut off due to turloughs and underground streams which have burst through limestone fissures extending from Ardrahan, Peterswell and Skehanagh to Gort.
Houses are also “under threat” at Kiltartan, where more than a metre of water surrounds the church. Houses in Labane are vulnerable, while the N18 Galway-Limerick road is closed at this point and water is approaching the church at Tierneevin.
‘Disaster zone’
“It’s just water everywhere in south Galway, moving across from Slieve Aughty to Kinvara and not getting there fast enough,” Galway County Council director of services Liam Gavin said.
Mr Gavin has already confirmed that south Galway flooding has reached 2009 levels, and Independent councillor Michael “Stroke” Fahy said he believed it had surpassed 2009.
“The Taoiseach needs to declare this area a disaster zone, as it is the worst thing to hit south Galway since the Rising of 1916,” Mr Fahy said. “If this continues, it will be like Syria, and people will have to leave in large numbers.”
The N67 between Kilcolgan and Kinvara is still open, but is being monitored, with flooding around Ballinderreen.
Mr Gavin said the council was still concerned about Portumna and Ballinasloe, as river gauges continue to rise on the Shannon and the river Suck.
“Ballinasloe is very close, and may touch 2009 levels, but pumps are still running at the bottom of the town to keep it clear,”he said.
Residences and businesses in Ballinasloe’s St Michael’s Square were flooded when the Suck burst its banks in December.
Army troops are deployed in Gort, Co Galway, in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Waterford, in Athlone, Co Westmeath and in Cork city, while Army engineers are working to redirect water in Clonlara, Co Offaly.
Additional Army staff are available at one hour’s notice, when requested by county councils, the Defence Forces said.
