Burst Cork water main was cleared during cold snap

A CRUCIAL 60-year-old water main that burst in Cork city yesterday, forcing more than 30 people to abandon their flooded homes, was given the all-clear just a few months ago during cold weather checks.

This emerged last night as devastated residents of Shandon Court and Shandon View Cottages on the city’s northside were still reeling from the second such flooding incident to destroy their homes in 15 years. Yesterday’s burst main was just 60 metres from the site of the 1996 breakage.

The alarm was raised just before 3am when an 18-inch high-pressure water main located under the Old Youghal Road ruptured, sending an estimated two million gallons of water cascading into nearby homes.