Kingdom roads made passable after downpours

MOST roads in Kerry were again passable last night after some of the worst August flooding in living memory.

An incessant overnight downpour resulted in several roads being blocked by flood waters in the county, with hundreds forced to make detours as they drove to work.

A section of the busy Farranfore/Castleisland road, on the Castleisland side of Kerry Airport, was covered by about three feet of water and traffic diversions were in place.

Also blocked for several hours was the road from Gneeveguilla to Killarney, after a river burst its banks at Gattabawn.

Flooding also made driving conditions difficult in roads around Currow, Lixnaw, Abbeydorney and the Tralee to Lyrecrompane road.

Iarnród Éireann bussed passengers from Tralee to Killarney after sections of the rail were hit by floods.

In the Killarney area, most roads were passable last evening, but the Glenflesk to Barraduff road remained closed. Also closed was the minor road at Annagh Bridge.

Tralee had localised flooding on smaller roads but all were passable.

Meanwhile, Limerick County Council admitted yesterday that a senior member of accident and emergency personnel was not requested to attend the scene of the huge flooding in Newcastle West last Friday though on call.

There is anger in west Limerick that the major emergency plan for Co Limerick was not activated when the fire service was bombarded with more than 180 emergency calls in just a few hours.

The major emergency plan for Dublin was activated on Saturday when less serious floods struck the capital.

Local councillor Michael Collins said he raised the failure to activate the major emergency plan at a meeting councillors had with officials in Newcastle West.

“We were told that the situation did not warrant it,” said Mr Collins.

“I was amazed because peoples lives were at risk, people were in bed with water flowing in up around them,” he said.