‘If it wasn’t for neighbours I would have nowhere to go’ says Clare farmer after floods

Clare dairy farmer Paudie Ryan has been left counting the cost after the floodwaters swamped his lands.

He has been relying on neighbours and friends to transport his cattle to higher ground.

A victim of seven major floods, Paudie has blamed the ESB for releasing too much water.

But the ESB said it has no choice but to release water from the Parteen Weir when it reaches capacity.

With his livestock feed lost to the deluge, his cattle cannot produce milk.

“How far do you want to go back? This started in 1990, 95, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2012, and 2015. My experience at the moment is total frustration with the so-called ‘bodies’ involved in the River Shannon. There’s four bodies involved in the Shannon and none of them will take responsibility for it,” he said.

Mr Ryan, like many others living in Clonlara, said the Shannon, and the Mulchair River which flows into it, need to be dredged.

“I propose one body be put in charge of the river. They need to start at the mouth of it, like you would at any stream, and start cleaning, dredging it.

“That, in co-ordination with the ESB, will solve an awful lot of problems.”

He said his house is once again under threat.

“The water got into the house in 2000 and 2009. I’ve pumps going all the time taking the excess water out of it.

“I have to get [the cattle] out. If it wasn’t for the neighbours I’d have nowhere to go. I’m milking cows here twice a day. I don’t know where I’m going to go with them or how I’m going to [milk] them.”

He added: “

The [farm] yard was built at [one] side of the road for one specific reason — that it wouldn’t flood. That’s what we knew down through the years, from generations before us.

“The Shannon hasn’t been maintained, and, the same as if you didn’t maintain yourself, what happens?” he asked. “It’s not rocket science. The Shannon has never been touched.”