OPW, council and flood scheme workers to look at ways to better protect Glanmire 

OPW Minister Patrick O’Donovan made the pledge as he toured the area on Friday

Residents of Copper Valley Vue in Glanmire faced a major clean-up after flood water hit their homes.  Picture: Larry Cummins

Office of Public Works officials, contractors working on the ongoing flood prevention scheme and Cork's two local authorities are to meet to examine any measures that can be accelerated to protect properties flooded in Glanmire in recent days.

OPW Minister Patrick O’Donovan made the pledge as he toured the area, spending more than an hour talking with residents in Copper Valley Vue, the worst hit of the Glanmire housing estates.

He faced a barrage of questions from householders about what measures could be undertaken in the short-term to protect their properties.

More than 20 houses there have been extremely damaged. The estate suffered similarly during a flood in 2015.

Residents pointed out the flood prevention works were starting in the northern side of the town and proceeding southwards along the River Glashaboy.

As they are on the southern side they are concerned it could be more than two years before the contractors carry out any significant works there.

Residents also criticised the response from the city council, saying much of the aid they got, including the delivery of skips and sanitising products, was provided in the first instance free of charge by local businesses.

Contractor Sorensen helped prevent major flooding in Glanmire. The engineering company are currently working on the Glashaboy Flood Relief Scheme in the town and were able to divert flood water away from Hazelwood Shopping Centre. Picture: Larry Cummins

While the OPW has drawn up specific plans with contractors Sorenson, Mr O’Donovan said it might be possible to re-proritise certain elements, in particular to protect properties.

However, he cautioned major changes to the scheme could require planning permission, and if so that could lead to delays.

Mr O’Donovan said the project team would ask individual residents and residents’ associations in impacted areas what exactly happened this time and what they think could be done to prevent repetitions in the short-term.

He said once this information was gathered, they would sit down and see if there was any tweaking they could do.

The nearby ‘New Line’ road, which links Glanmire with Knockraha, became a river again yesterday morning and was impassable for a couple of hours until the water receded. Some houses in that area also flooded.

Pumps were again activated in Meadowbook Estate — devastated in the 2012 flood — as drains started to overflow. However, the water level there was not as high as previous days.

There was relief for commuters as the main road running through Glanmire to the Tivoli roundabout reopened yesterday.

Sorenson workers reopened a section of the road close to St Joseph’s Church. They had closed it off when a stream which runs through a small culvert under the road became a raging torrent.

The contractors dammed the water, forcing it away from the nearby Hazelwood Shopping Centre. Their quick-thinking was praised by local businesses as otherwise they would have suffered catastrophic damage.

Another section of the main road which had been closed between Riverstown Cross and the Vienna Woods Hotel was also reopened, this time by the city council.

Meanwhile, those under threat in the area look on in trepidation at the forecast of more heavy rain in the coming days.