Skibbereen residents show anger over flood defence works delay

Cahalane’s Bar proprietor James Cahalane gets help from Donie Hurley and Ger Carey of The Horse and Hound Bar as the community pitched in for cleanup operation. Picture: Larry Cummins

A town hit by flash flooding during Storm Ellen has called for answers and action after it emerged that work to a culvert which could have eased the flooding was postponed hours earlier.

As the Taoiseach visited Skibbereen in West Cork to survey the damage, flood victims described as "too little, too later" the installation yesterday of a trash screen over the culvert at The Cutting area of the town.

ESB Networks crews restored power to more than 124,000 homes, farms and businesses  yesterday but thousands of people in counties Cork and Tipperary could be waiting another 24 hours. 

In Cork City, low-lying quays escaped serious flooding last night but authorities remain on alert.

Micheál Martin paid tribute to the emergency services and ESB repair crews and said the Government will respond with support. "We now have to engage with towns impacted, to analyse in some instances the extent of the flooding, the causes of that and to bring supports quickly to the affected communities,” he said. 

Luke O’Leary of In N’ Out Cleaning Services cleans  Eldon Hotel. Picture: Larry Cummins

However, there was anger in Skibbereen where 20 premises on Bridge Street, and on the Cork Road were swamped.

The Office of Public Works, which oversaw the town’s €18m flood relief scheme, said there was “no question of failure" of the scheme and said the flooding on Bridge St was due to very heavy rainfall and runoff swelling a minor watercourse at The Cutting, with the water unable to pass through a culvert which connects to the main town sewer, possibly because of a partial blockage at the culvert entrance.

Cork County Council said part of the culvert project, which was separate to the flood-relief scheme, was delayed by Covid-19 and the installation of the specially manufactured screen could not be completed before the storm.

Repairs carried out to a culvert at The Cutting after the floods. Picture: Andy Gibson

"Unfortunately, it was not possible to complete this work before the unusually severe summer storm, where the rate of rainfall reached 40mm an hour resulting in exceptional rainfall which overwhelmed the storm drain system at The Cutting," a council spokeperson said.

The Cork Road flooding was also linked to a culvert issue under the road and the council plans to address through the OPW’s minor works scheme.

Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard said that just wasn't good enough. He said council staff should be able to mobilise during red weather alerts to deal with culvert issues. “It is unacceptable that these emergency works are being carried out in such a reactive emergency way when the damage has been caused. There is a duty of care to homeowners and businesses in Skibbereen to have clear culverts and drains,” he said.