Family split up by rising waters after evacuating flooded Clare home

The Hogan family are hoping to have a Christmas reunion this week — even though they all normally live under the one roof.

They, like many others, had to evacuate their home on December 6 when flood waters came lapping up around the dwelling near Clonlara. Initially, Clare County Council got them accommodation in a Limerick City hotel, but last weekend the hotel had to ask them to vacate their rooms, due to previous bookings.

Clare County Council found alternative accommodation in a hotel in Shannon but, as three of the four Hogan children attend school in Limerick City, the alternative hotel accommodation was not practicable.

The family then had to split up and parents Mike and Liz Hogan and their children, Sarah, 26; Mark, 18; Sean, 17; and Aoife, 12, have been spread out among relatives in Clonlara, Ardnacrusha, and Ballysheedy. And to make their accomodation needs more complex, they have had to send their two dogs to kennels in Limerick.

Liz said: “Members of our families bring the boys to school every morning and I collect them in the afternoons. Our house has not been flooded, but we had to get boats to bring us in and out every day.

“The Civil Defence were great in getting in and out in boats, but it just became impossible. When we were given accommodation in a hotel in Limerick another problem arose as we had to get our dogs vaccinated before they could be taken in by the kennel. Limerick Animal Welfare tried to get a foster home for the dogs, but this did not prove possible.

“A neighbour has been keep monitoring the water levels near the house and it seems to be okay. The water levels seem to have dropped fairly quickly in recent days. We plan to go in early this week and hopefully get all the Christmas decorations up and then some normality can return to our lives.

“It has been a very stressful time and we are really very sorry for some of our neighbours who have been less fortunate and have been flooded. Our hearts go out to them. Something must be done as we have had major floods now in 2009 and this one.”

Meanwhile, Residents in the Richmond Park neighbourhood of Limerick City are facing a difficult Christmas — 14 houses in the estate were flooded.

A row has erupted between Limerick City and County Council and Waterways Ireland over a huge delay in opening the Park Lock.

The closed lock resulted in huge quantities of water spilling over the canal bank into Richmond Park. Ardscoil Mhuire in Richmond Park remained closed last Monday after the flood on Saturday night.

Principal Bríd Herbert said significant damage has been caused by the flood. School caretaker Jim Carroll said the grounds were in a mess, as six industrial-sized bins had been toppled by the flood waters.

Childminder Valerie Beegan said the nursery’s front and back gardens were completely submerged.