Freak flood forces woman to quit home

A woman has been forced to abandon her family home after freak flooding surrounded it by “an ocean of water”.

Catherine Quirke, 60, who lives just outside Rathcormac in North Cork, spoke of her heartbreak last night and said she had no option but to leave after the worst floods locals have seen in this area in seven decades.

“It’s a dire situation. I’m distraught really. I’m looking at the four fields around me and it’s an ocean at every side,” Catherine said.