Expert warned of risk to certain housing estates

AS homes were in evacuated in Ennis during last November’s flooding, a flooding expert warned Clare County Council last November that a number of other housing estates below a certain level in the Ennis area “will almost certainly be in trouble and unlikely to be protectable” from flooding.

In an email released through the Freedom of Information Act, Tony Cawley of Hydro Environmental Ltd wrote on November 24 that his comments on the threat “are not exaggerated”.

Mr Cawley made his prediction for homes in the Ennis area located below levels of 3.2 metres above sea level.

The Friday prior to the email, 40 families were evacuated from their homes in the Oakwood Drive area of Ennis.

Senior County Council engineer Tom Tiernan said the threat of flooding to the areas downstream of Ennis town centre will be removed by the construction of phase two of the flood defence works for Ennis.