Families homeless as homes ruined

TWO families were left homeless yesterday after flood waters completely destroyed their bungalows.

Billy O’Regan, who lives with his father, Willie, and sisters Helen and Mary, at Strand Road outside Carrigaline, Co Cork, said he was furious at Cork County Council for their inaction since the last flood wrecked the family home three years ago.

“We told them it would happen again. We had an engineer who told them it would happen again, and they did nothing,” Billy said yesterday.

The home of his neighbour, 75-year-old Chrissie Keohane, who is just out of hospital, was also destroyed.

Council engineers discussed the issue with the O’Regans and their engineer last year and promised to look into the situation.

The construction of a sea wall to hold the nearby Owenabue river was considered. Billy said the council told him yesterday, as he cleaned out the family home, that a contractor is lined up to start the work next week.

“But that’s no good to us now,” he said.

The Owenabue burst its banks on Wednesday evening, flowed across the road, destroying the homes.

The flooding was so severe, the fire brigade called for back-up from Crosshaven lifeboat.

The families were rescued by boat. “We have a loan of a house from friends for the next few days while they’re on holidays. But I don’t know what we’re going to do after that,” Billy said.

The council hired water pumps for the O’Regans yesterday, but the house was still under three feet of water last night.

Major housing developments were being blamed for preventing land to soak up water.