Environment

Swollen Shannon threatens villages as residents prepare for worst

ESB indicates more water to be released from Parteen Weir to ease pressure after Storm Desmond

Air Corps handout photo of the River Shannon at Athlone after Storm Desmond hit the area over the weekend. Thousands of home and business owners along the Shannon are bracing themselves for the river to peak in what experts are warning could be the worst floods in two decades. Photograph: Airman Jamie Martin/Air Corps/PA Wire

Kathryn Hayes in Castleconnell
Wed Dec 9 2015 - 21:05

A precarious balancing act is being performed on the river Shannon where massive volumes of water are released, threatening a number of villages including Castleconnell in Co Limerick.

More than 2,500 residents live in the picturesque village, about 14km from Limerick city.

For three days, businesses and residents have been preparing for the worst as the ESB indicated more water will be released from Parteen Weir to ease the pressure further upstream caused by Storm Desmond.

Castleconnell residents are not immune to flooding incidents, with the devastation caused in 2009 a stark reminder of the power of the river.

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Businessman George Lee, whose family have run a shop on the Main Street since 1946, says efforts to prevent flood damage are being replicated in towns and villages along the Shannon.

“My own opinion is every community on the river will be trying to veer the water away from their own locality and we have to look at our weakness in the fortress and we have to look at how best we can improve our situation using 2009 as a baseline,” he said.

‘A waiting game’

“The council and the Army have been billeted here for the last three days building up the defence and now it’s simply a waiting game . . . There’s an alluvial wave coming down and that’s bringing a rise down from the midlands.”

It’s hoped that thousands of sandbags distributed by Limerick City and County Council will protect areas at most risk, including Castleconnell, Montpelier and the Mountshannon Road in Lisnagry.

Several pumps are in operation pumping water between the villages of Castleconnell and Montpelier, while a large inflatable wall known as a flood boom is also being floated to divert water away from Castleconnell village.

On Wednesday, the ESB confirmed the discharge level from the Parteen Weir was being maintained at 375,000 litres a second despite earlier indications it would be increased due to upstream flooding. This flow is nearly 10 times the normal release rate for this time of year.

Vincent Murray, senior engineer at Limerick City and County Council, said the increased discharge rate is necessary and described it as a difficult job for the ESB.

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